Family-owned, Sicilian winemaker Donnafugata is showcasing its commitment to sustainability with the launch of a new, lighter bottle for its Lighea 2023 vintage
Donnafugata has unveiled new packaging for its Lighea 2023 vintage. The new bottle showcases the family-owned, Sicilian winemaker’s focus on sustainability.
The Donnafugata Lighea 2023 vintage comes bottled in the Cento per Cento Sicilia (‘100% Sicilian’) Burgundy bottle, produced exclusively on Sicily from recycled glass implemented by O-I Glass in collaboration with Fondazione SOStain. Weighing just 410 grams, instead of the typical 550 grams, the Cento per Cento Sicilia bottle is lighter and helps reduce CO2 emissions and environmental impact over time. Lighea also uses the Nomacorc Ocean closure, produced with recycled plastic collected in coastal areas.
“It is a wine that looks to the future,” says Donnafugata CEO and family-proprietor Josè Rallo. “The introduction of the Cento per Cento Sicilia bottle and the Nomacorc Ocean closure are innovations in line with the sustainable development goals of the UN 2030 Agenda. These decisions add to over 30 years of good practices from reducing the vineyard’s environmental impact to the production of clean energy, as well as the protection of biodiversity to support the land. It is our ongoing commitment that has enabled us to obtain SOStain certification for sustainable Sicilian winemaking.”
Made from Zibibbo (Muscat of Alexandria) grapes, Lighea is a product unique to the volcanic viticulture of Pantelleria, where the sun and wind create extreme winemaking conditions. In this region, the traditional Pantelleria alberello, head-trained bush vines, grow low to the ground. Given the creative and sustainable technique, it is the only agricultural practice with Unesco Cultural Heritage status.
“The extreme nature of Pantelleria has always represented a real challenge and Lighea is a truly authentic interpretation of this land,” comments Antonio Rallo, Donnafugata Winemaker, CEO, and family-proprietor. “Growing the vines so low and in terraces requires a lot of labor, from pruning and harvesting to the essential maintenance of kilometers of dry- lava stone walls. Knowledge, hard work, and dedication are the basis of the teamwork that makes it possible to create unique and highly distinctive products like Lighea.”
The result is an aromatic wine with a deeply Mediterranean character. It offers unmissable hints of orange blossom to go along with floral and citrus notes, a remarkable freshness and a pleasant mineral finish.
The new Lighea 2023 packaging features the eyes of a mermaid. Staying true to the original design drawn by artist Stefano Vitale, the background of the new label depicts a Pantelleria dawn.
Donnafugata Lighea 2023 is available now in New York for an SRP of $24.99, with nationwide availability starting in early 2025. For more information, head over to the brand’s official website.
Earlier this year, Pietro Russo, Donnafugata Winemaker, obtained the prestigious Master of Wine title. The Sicilian oenologist is the third in Italy to have obtained the prestigious title from the Institute of Masters of Wine, the oldest wine organization in the world.
