Viziato Winery

[Il Veet-zee-AH-TOE]

Location: Panzano, Tuscany & Trapani, Sicily, Italy

When Tara Empson was ready to craft her own wine she knew exactly who she wanted to work with, Matteo Bernabei, son of renowned winemaker Franco Bernabei. Together, they created Il Viziato, a tribute to Sicily and Tuscany, two regions close to their hearts.

Points of Differentiation

• Food Friendly
• Excellent Value
• Vibrant Packaging
• An excellent choice for “By the Glass” wine lists
• Crafted from two native varieties, Sangiovese and Nero d’Avola, from Tuscany and Sicily

The History

After a lifetime surrounded by everything having to do with wine, Tara Empson is ready to make her mark on the world with her very own creation.

Tara began her making a name for herself following in her parent’s footsteps and has a passion for wine only equal to her parents.

It was this experience that helped to make Tara an excellent judge of character. In her words, “our growers are selected on the basis of two fundamental principles, the quality of the wines and the quality of the people. This criteria has proved to be a successful one as most of our portfolio has remained strong through the good times and the bad.”

With that in mind, choosing Matteo Bernabei, son of renowned winemaker Franco Bernabei, as the winemaker was an easy decision. Together they crafted Il Viziato, a unique blend of Sangiovese and Nero d’Avola, as a tribute to two very distinct regions in Italy, Tuscany and Sicily.

The Terroir

The Sangiovese grapes used for this wine grow in the finest vineyard locations in the Chianti Classico area, just outside Panzano, 985 feet above sea level. The area is most suited to growing the high-acidity grape, thanks to the limestone in the soil, which contributes to the making of elegant wines with intense aromas.

While the soil is great in Tuscany for Sangiovese grapes, the makers of this wine had to travel south for Nero d’Avola grapes, which love the hot, arid temperatures of western Sicily. The slightly sloped vineyards are 165 feet (50 meters) above sea level and vines are bush-trained to stand up to the great Sicilian winds. Sicily’s bold fruit-forward wines with hearty tannins and acidity are an unprecedented yet perfect match for Sangiovese and its elegance and structure.

What makes this wine so special are the unique winemaking techniques used. A small portion of the grapes are dried first on the vine and then in drying lofts. The grapes lose 30% of their water weight, concentrating the sugars. The result of this method is a plush, round, full-flavored wine that is wonderfully easy to drink.