Feudo Montoni

A small Sicilian wine estate where time seems to be stopped

Feudo Montoni is an ancient winery of Sicily located in the principality of Villanova. It was created in 1469 by a noble family of Aragonese origin, the Abatellis. At the end of the 18th century Rosario, grandfather of Fabio Sireci (the current owner) fell under the spell of the baglio (typical Sicilian building), the terroir and the vineyard. Since then this family has passed on from generation to generation its love for its land, for its diversity, but also and above all for the Sicilian wine tradition and its lifestyle … Currently the property produces some of the best Sicilian wines that it ‘ Was given to taste’.

V.d.V.: What is the signature Feudo Montoni’s wines? They are wines of terroir, tradition and complexity. They have a history, a nice acidity, a nice sweetness and a good persistence. I do not want bodybuilder or over-aromatic wines.

I have a lot of iron and limestone in my soil / terroir.We benefit from a unique microclimate linked to our exposure, our geography and the fact that we are at 700m altitude. When planting new vines, I plant wild vines and let them take root for a year before grafting them with scions of Montoni’s old indigenous grape varities (Nero d’Avola, Perricone, Nerello Mascalese, Grillo, Inzolia and Catarratto). All of the vineyard’s younger vines were grafted from the older plants, which were already on the property when my grandfather purchased the property over 100 years ago.One should not try to make or even judge a wine in relation to its power, the oakiness or its concentration but its ability to reflect its soil, its land. I want to feel in my wines what nature gives us! We handle as little as possible our wines and the little that we do (harvesting, pumping over …) is entirely done by hand…

V.d.V.: What is your philosophy?

I run the property in organic farming and I also incorporate a few practices from biodynamics. What is important to me is to perpetuate the history, tradition, heritage / mission of my father while keeping a property perfectly integrated in its environment and in the landscape.We must respect this history, this cultural richness and this biodiversity… In Montoni, the soil is sacred but time is also! The wines need time to rest and refine, in order to reach their state of perfection.We should learn to appreciate the benefits in our lives …

My wife and I we are passionate about the richness of the Sicilian gastronomic culture. She was a chef in New York and made the choice to come back and live here. She wrote a wonderful book of recipes typical of Sicily (Melissa Muller, Sicily the cookbook). Many of the recipes are close to my heart, especially that of my mother: the Capretto al Forno di Mamma Adele.

V.d.V.: If you were to describe your passion for wine, for your property in a few words, what would you say? I would say: Love, passion and the legacy of my father. I‘ve been working with all the energy of my soul for 25 years to perpetuate the work of the wine and to make sure that Feudo Montoni is faithful to the tradition as well as the best integration possible in its environment.