COS
Giambattista and Giusto hanging with the Pithos Bianco.
COS was founded in 1980 by three friends: Giambattista Cilia, Cirino Strano and Giusto Occhipinti, who took their last names to make the acronym COS. They winery began in area of Bastonaca, Vittoria and later expanded to Fontane. They were some of the first in the area and in Sicily to push and promote organic and biodynamic farming and winemaking, with minimal intervention in the cellar. Their quest to make wine as it once was also led them to what were at the time, experimental aging vessels, of concrete and Amphora. Most of their wines are aged in Amphora. They use no additives in their wine, save for a little sulfur at bottling.
The growing zone of Vittoria, and especially that of the Ragusa province, is rather unique. The area sits atop a calcareous limestone bedrock, the primary composition of the Monti Iblei, which were formed during the collision of African and European continents during the Late Cretaceous- Late Tortonian Period (~11-7 million years ago). Therefore, this bedrock is suboceanic in origin and composed of shallow water (coral reef) sea fossils. The top soils are clay and sand, rich in iron. The limestone and sandy soils, followed by the cooling sea breezes, allow for a certain freshness in the wines that COS certainly capitalizes upon. The growing zones of Bastonaca and Fontane sit at about 230m asl, making for slightly cooler night time temperatures than the other growing zones of the DOCG.
They make 13 labels, including two single contrada Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG. All save for one label, which is not imported to the states, are made with indigenous Sicilian varietals.
