The Duca di Salaparuta winery in Casteldaccia, in the province of Palermo, is 200 years old and is being restored, with an eye not only on the terrain but also on new developments, what insiders refer to as "the wine of the future". Today, Duca di Salaparuta, which produced one million bottles in 2023, has a revenue of 5.6 million and a hundred employees: "Our main market is Italy. Over the years, the share has remained roughly steady at 80% in Italy and 20% overseas. The original spirit is always that of Giuseppe Alliata, Prince of Villafranca, who founded the winery in 1824, as well as the foresight of his great-grandson, Duke Enrico, who is regarded as an oenology master among other things. But also, Topazia Alliata, a sophisticated intellectual, wife of Fosco Maraini, and mother of writer Dacia Maraini, who in 1961 sold the cellars to Sofis, the Region's financial company. Ilva Saronno Holding purchased the winery through its subsidiary Florio in 2001, and everything changed: the Duca di Salaparuta Spa Group was formed in 2003. It is a new, more contemporary strategy, with investments in wineries and wines, an eye on the territory with new wines such as Vermentino, and the improvement of existing productions and new products: Lavico Etna Doc Bianco and Lavico Etna Doc Rosso are two new wines from the Vajasindi Estate on the slopes of Etna. Today, Duca di Salaparuta is one of the major Sicilian companies: Passo delle Mule is the best-selling wine, with its largest market being Italy, followed by the United States, Japan, France, and Switzerland.
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