Azienda Agricola COS

For the past 30 years Azienda Agricola COS has been creating their history and putting it into every glass of their wine, their story – the story of their land. They don’t follow trends. They follow their passion and curiosity to learn about and bring back a world that didn’t exist in Sicily when they started their journey.

In 1980, three friends founded Azienda Agricola COS – their names represent the acronym for the winery – Giambattista Cilia, Cirino Strano and Guisto Occhipinti (uncle of Arianna Occhipinti). At the time they were the youngest wine producers in Italy. They received the old winery from Giambattista’s father and the nearby 3.6 hectares of bush trained vines. On October 5th 1980 they harvested their first vintage making just 1,470 bottles and the adventure began.

At the farthest tip of Sicily in the province of Ragusa, the city of Vittoria is located between two rivers, the Ippari and Dirillo, that flow from the Hyblaean Mountains to the Mediterranean. This milder, higher-altitude climate is filled with vegetation and soil that recalls Africa – olive, carob, almond trees and vines; red, ochre and yellow soils.

Over the years these three friends persisted with the holistic approach of biodynamic farming and vinification using neutral vessels to help the vines find and maintain a balance to be able to express their true character and that of the terrior. In 2000 Pithos was born, a Cerasuolo di Vittoria – a blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato – that ferments and ages soley in 400 litre amphora, buried in the winery floor. In 2003 they finished the new headquarters of the winery in Fontane and in 2005 they made the first DOCG designated wine in Sicily.

Today COS is associated with not only the success of Cerasuolo di Vittoria but also rigor and quality. Thanks to these three friends the region of Cerasuolo di Vittoria was reborn and the area is now thriving with its extraordinary wines.