Val di Noto, Sicily

The terroir of Noto

Terroir is not a story you tell. It's a land, a climate, a geology, a human heritage.

Geography

Noto is located in the south-east of Sicily, on the foothills of the Hyblean mountains. The region is bordered by the Ionian sea to the east and shaped by the Anapo valley. The soil is limestone, sometimes rocky, rich in minerals that pass into the fruit.

Climate

Dry, hot summers, mild winters, scarce rainfall concentrated in spring and autumn. This thermal amplitude is exactly what's needed for olives with strong aromatic concentration and almonds with dense flesh.

Varieties

Our oil comes from the Nocellara del Belice olive — both fleshy and aromatic. Our almonds are the Pizzuta d'Avola variety — long-shaped, sweet and highly fragrant, considered among the world's best by pastry chefs.

Baroque heritage

Noto and its neighbouring cities (Modica, Ragusa, Scicli) were rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake in a unique Sicilian baroque style. Today a UNESCO site. This golden stone, this clean light — they are also the setting of our work.