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North South expands Italian portfolio with Azienda Agricola Cortese

Published:  21 January, 2019

North South Wines has expanded its Italian menu with the addition of Stefano Girelli’s Sicilian estate, Azienda Agricola Cortese.

Available from North South Wines now, the two tier range of wines – Cortese Nostru and Cortese Selezione, are sustainably produced, organic, made from indigenous, ancient grape varieties and are aimed at the premium off and on-trade.

The Cortese Nostru range comprises Cataratto Lucido, Carricante and Nerello Mascalese (rrp: £11.99), while Cortese Selezione consists of Vanedda Biano (rrp: £17.99), Sabuci Cerasuolo di Vittoria (rrp: £20.99) and Senia Nero d’Avola (rrp: £20.99).

A “really experimental vintage”, 2016 had some great results, said Stefano Girelli.

“Now at the beginning of 2019, the winemaker said he was happy to that Cortesewass “delivering the quality that we want in wines which are a true reflection of the personality of the Cortese estate”.

“The aim is simple and carries on the ethos of the estate. To produce wines as naturally as possible, using organic grapes and making interesting, typical, quality wines following ancient Sicilian traditions, which are further improved by modern methods.”

A neighbour of Girelli’s original organic Sicilian estate, Feudo di Santa Tresa, in the Vittoria region, Cortese was acquired in 2016 after six years of negotiation.

For the Nostru range, grapes are bought in from trusted growers. The more obscure indigenous grapes include the white varieties Cataratto Lucido and Carricante as well as the red Nerello Mascalese, which is predominantly grown in the Etna area.

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