Antonino Barraco

Marsala, Sicilia

Nino Barraco celebrated his 20th vintage but talking to him one realises that we are still at the beginning of his desire to make wine in his own way. The only son of peasants, after studying politics and dreaming of being a photographer, Nino, like many Sicilians, was looking forward to a career away from Sicily. Looking into Angela's eyes, they said to each other that they wanted to stay and do something for this beautiful but also extreme land. And so they started from two small vineyards belonging to their families and making wine in their garage.
Now there are twenty hectares and the new winery hosts all their dreams turned into wine. From a land that has yielded great oxidative wines, Nino produces dry and fresh wines only from local grapes. But at the same time he matures from day one his creatures, the so-called pre-British, Marsalas made without adding any alcohol which was a British invention. A movement of young winemakers has sprung up around Nino who, following in his footsteps, are bringing Sicily back to the great name of the past.