The Barbera family have been grape producers for three generations.
The first vineyards have been planted in Tenuta Belicello in the early '20s by my grandfather Lilly. They were mainly native varieties, basically white grapes such as Grecanico, Catarratto and Inzolia, which we used to sell to big wineries and cooperatives based in the region of Marsala. During the '60s my father Pietro started to experiment with more modern and precise viticulture techniques by first reclaiming a vast alluvial area amidst the Belice Valley, DOC Menfi territory, where he planted new vineyards, selecting the international varieties which would best adapt to the land’s micro-climatic conditions.
Our vineyards lie very close to the sea and thus from the sea they gain their uniqueness. The alluvial soil is a surprisingly rich mineral texture, enriched by the salty and saline components that we call our “terroir”, which is a redline that underscores all our wines.
Mild winters and a huge temperature range between day and night during the summer provide our grapes with a great concentration and amazing aromatic complexity.
 | The soil is basically calcareous in the eastern part of the property, with a huge quantity of lime stones: it is very deep, fresh and rich in minerals, especially in the area that we call Dietro le Case (Behind the Houses), where the old vines of Inzolia were planted 40 years ago and are able to produce extraordinary quality grapes. Walking eastwards up the hill, in Vigne alla Costa, a young vineyard of Nero d'Avola gives birth to the grapes that we use for La Bambina. |
 | The middle part of Belicello is called Piana del Pozzo, where we grow our international grapes, which easily reach their full ripening and a great aromatic development thanks to the deep and fertile clay soil. |
 | The western part of Tenuta Belicello is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon: this, that we traditionally call La Vota, is a small area inside the loop of the Belice River, where the soil is sandy and deep, and is invaded by the River’s waters every couple of years. |
OUR CHOICE FOR A SUSTAINABLE FARMING
At Cantine Barbera, we adopt a management system that we follow and implement in every single aspect of our business, to perform a fully sustainable farming that is friendly to the environment.
Every day, from the careful selection of the most suitable sites for vine planting to the restrictive training and pruning systems, to the hand-picked selection of grapes at harvest time, we strive to pay tribute to the fullest expression of each grape variety.
A healthy environment is the better defence against pests and vineyard’s diseases, and everyday monitoring is necessary to prevent aggressions from harmful agents. Thus, we do not use herbicides, but we aim to implement sustainable agricultural practices, keeping the spontaneous herbs and vegetation alongside the cultivated fields and ditches, little far from the Belice River Natural Reservation; this is the main way to preserve bio-diversity and to increase the vineyards' natural resistance to infections.
All the main cultural operations are performed by hand, because only manual labor guarantees carefulness, precision and respect for the vineyards.
We harvest at night, or very early in the morning, far from the warmest hours of the day, in order to preserve the freshest aromas and the complete integrity of the fruit.
A combination of nature and technology is also used to assess effectiveness and safety of pesticide application practices and to reduce our need for chemicals:
• we collect information on weather evolution from a nearby weather station; data on humidity, wind, sunlight and temperatures are then processed to forecast the sensitive conditions for the developing of harmful infections;
• we planted red roses close to the vineyards to help us identify mould infections before they eventually become serious, so we can treat the vineyards only if really necessary.
