Pantelleria sits in the Mediterranean between Sicily and Tunisia, a black volcanic island battered by wind and sun. On its sunny southeastern slopes, Abbazia San Giorgio coaxes wine from old bush vines scattered across tiny plots.
Backstory
Abbazia San Giorgio was founded in 2015 by Battista Belvisi, Beppe Fontana, and Pina Passarello. Belvisi learned to make the island's famous passito from his father and grandfather and spent a decade working under the Pantelleria legend Gabrio Bini. The winery began with 4,000 bottles and now produces around 20,000 a year.
The Region
Abbazia San Giorgio farms on Pantelleria, a volcanic island closer to Africa than to the Italian mainland. Vines grow in dark volcanic soils under intense sun and relentless wind. Those conditions gave rise to the alberello pantesco, the low head-trained bush vine planted in a hollow in the ground so the plant can shelter from the wind and conserve scarce moisture through long droughts. The technique is recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of humanity.
Vineyards and Farming
Abbazia San Giorgio farms roughly 7 hectares fragmented into small plots, most on the southeastern side of the island around the Khamma area. Around two-thirds of the vineyard is old Zibibbo (Muscat of Alexandria), trained as alberello pantesco, with the remainder in Catarratto, Nerello Mascalese, Pignatello, and Alicante. Farming is biodynamic: no chemical pesticides, fungicides, or fertilizers, with weeds managed through ground cover.
Winemaking
The Abbazia San Giorgio wines are fermented with indigenous yeasts, without added sulfur or other additives. The dry Zibibbo is fermented with about 20 days of maceration on the skins, an orange-wine treatment that draws out the grape's aromatics and texture. The approach is deliberately hands-off, letting the volcanic terroir speak.
The Wines
The Abbazia San Giorgio portfolio centers on Zibibbo in dry and skin-contact orange styles, alongside reds drawn from the island's Pignatello, Nerello Mascalese, and Alicante. Production remains small and bottlings vary with the vintage.
