COS

Vittoria · Ragusa (RG)

← Sicilia

Established

1980

Giambattista Cilia, Giusto Occhipinti and Cirino Strano (their initials spell COS)

Yearly production

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Location

Vittoria

Ragusa (RG) · Sicilia

Vineyard area

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Vineyards around Vittoria in the far southeast of Sicily, including old bush-trained vines at Bastonaca, farmed biodynamically (from 2000) and certified organic (2007).

Appellations

Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCGVittoria DOC

History

COS was founded in 1980 when three friends, Giambattista Cilia, Giusto Occhipinti and Cirino Strano, made 1,470 bottles from a family vineyard, becoming the youngest producers in Italy. More than anyone they revived Cerasuolo di Vittoria, which was raised to DOCG in 2005, still Sicily's only DOCG. From 2000 they pioneered amphora winemaking with the Pithos wines, and today ferment and age much of their production in terracotta jars buried in the cellar, a benchmark of Italy's natural-wine movement.