Rosso del Conte, recipient of numerous awards, made from Nero d’Avola grapes and the best selection of red grape varieties, in Tasca d’Almerita’s Regaleali Estate in Palermo, Sicily.

Tasca d'Almerita has been declared “Italian Winery of the Year” in the 2012 edition of Italy's bestselling wine guide, Vini d'Italia, published by Gambero Rosso. This is the second recognition in less than a month for Tasca d'Almerita, after the Italian Sommeliers' Association named the company 'Sicilian Wine Producer of the Year' in its 2012 Duemilavini guide.

Behind these awards lie the remarkable qualitative consistency of Tasca d'Almerita's wines, and the company's ability to reconcile historical continuity with innovation, fuelled by a long-standing vocation for experiment and development. In their motivation for the Winery of the Year award, the Gambero Rosso authors underlined the across-the-board quality of a “truly excellent range of wines”, but added that what tipped the balance in favour of the prize was the winery's “clear vision of the future” and “important issues of business ethics and environmental sustainability”.

“It's a great result for the whole of Sicily, and confirms the island's status as a centre of oenological excellence” – is Alberto Tasca's comment on the Gambero Rosso recognition – “it is a gift for those families who, like us, have inherited knowhow and a passion for winemaking, and who, like us, are working to bring out the huge potential of this unique island and its capacity to make wines that are recognised around the world for their excellence.”

Tasca continues, “our work is based on the most varied stimuli, from old family secrets to on-site viticultural experiments and discussions with other winemakers. One never stops learning, or drawing inspiration from stories of people's passion and dedication to the land – and we're proud to be a part of this process. For a few years now, through the SOStain project, we've been focusing our attention on the search for better ways to promote and protect the landscape, to reduce our carbon footprint year on year, to safeguard biodiversity. But winemakers have a vested interest in looking after their territory - you only need to walk around the vineyards to realise that!”

Tasca d'Almerita has been instrumental in bringing Sicilian wines to international recognition. Tasca's top red, Rosso del Conte, is among a handful of wines from Southern Italy with a long, distinguished track record that goes back a few decades. Rosso del Conte is the recipient of many awards and accolades, the latest being the top Tre Bicchieri recognition by Gambero Rosso itself. Apart from Rosso del Conte, other red wines from Tasca d'Almerita include: Lamuri – a pure Nero d'Avola; Cynus – a Nero d'Avola / Cabernet Sauvignon blend; Camastra – a Nero d'Avola / Merlot blend and a Rosso – 100% Nero d'Avola. Tasca d'Almerita also produce excellent white wines such as Nozze d'Oro – an Inzolia / Sauvignon blend recently awarded 90 points on Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and a Bianco – Inzolia, Grecanico, Catarratto. Tasting notes, technical details and award information are available on http://www.tascadalmerita.it.

The winery’s latest video “A glass of Sicily” on www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y05oduMW5Uo has gone viral, notching up well over 200,000 hits in less than a month.

Tasca d’Almerita wines are imported, marketed and distributed by Farsons Beverage Imports Company Limited, a member of The Farsons Group. They are available at leading restaurants and at Farsonsdirect, Mdina Road, Mriehel or online: www.farsonsdirect.com.