Contessa Entellina
Contessa Entellina is the name of a small town in the province of Palermo, in Sicily. The town is situated at an altitude 580 m.n.p.m., right in the middle of an upland land, covered densely with hills. It was founded in the mid-15th century by Greek and Albanian immigrants, who came to these areas from the military colony of Bisiri. The name Entellina comes from 1875 year and refers to the ancient settlement of Entella, located near the present-day town limits. Although made away from the largest cities in Sicily, Contessa Entellina wine has been known since antiquity. It is mentioned in the works of such authors, like Silius Italicus, Strabo, and Pausanias.
Due to favorable soil and climatic conditions, The wine produced in this area has always been of high quality. The height is also important, on which the grapevine is grown, having, as is known for a long time, significant impact on the proper development of the crop. In addition, grapes from the local vineyards were added to the coupage by producers from neighboring regions, who thus tried to improve the fairly average quality of their wines.
Winemakers from Contessa Entellina, they had enough determination, to prove to the world, that their wine can reach even greater heights. They introduced a number of innovations in their vineyards, and started the cultivation of new grape varieties imported from abroad, such, Jack Pinot Noir, Cabernet, Chardonnay i Sauvignon. Today, the Contessa Entellina DOC appeal is associated primarily with noble red wines, one of the longest-lived in all of southern Italy .