Verona, Italy, April 5 2019 -At Vinitaly, the international wine exhibition, Valle dell’Acate, the Sicilian winery owned by Gaetana Jacono, has launched a new red wine known as Iri da Iri. With the goal of launching in Italy and internationally, Valle dell’Acate have chosen to work with global brand consultancy Interbrand in order to pursue sustainable growth.
“I’m very proud to be bringing our finest products to Vinitaly, some of the greatest from our vineyard, and my own personal lifelong dream: “Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico Cru Iri da Iri”, said Gaetana Jacono.
“Our Frappato is a fragrant wine popular with all ages, especially young people; it’s a red that is best served chilled and can even be paired with fish. Based on its success, we worked on the Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico, and sought mainly to achieve aromatic qualities, including the tertiary expression of the aromas. And so, the orange-red soil of the Altopiano di Biddine Soprano brought forth Iri da Iri. The process wasn’t always easy, and I was assisted by Carlo Casavecchia, with his excellent advice and years of experience in Sicily”.
Iri da Iri is the result of a harmonious blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato grapes; together producing a Cerasuolo wine. However, a brand new Cru needed to be celebrated, and Valle dell’Acate needed to choose a name that was not just distinctive, but unique: a name that conveys a history of excellence. To do so, Valle dell’Acate asked Interbrand to find the visual identity that would express the concept of a union, while at the same time conjuring a poetic and evocative image. Iri da Iri encapsulates all of that – with the name taken from a passage in Dante’s Paradise, where he describes how two circles are reflected in each other, creating a third circle of fire:
“…parvermi tre giri
di tre colori e d’una contenenza;
e l’un da l’altro come iri da iri
parea reflesso, e ‘l terzo parea foco
che quinci e quindi igualmente si spiri”.
(“…there appeared to me three Rings,
of threefold color and of one content;
and one, as Rainbow is by Rainbow, seemed
reflected by the other, while the third
seemed like a Fire breathed equally from both”)
[tr. Courtney Langdon]
Gaetana Jacono further said, “I was bowled over by the visionary power of this symbolism, which expresses the spirit with which this Cru was created better than any other metaphor. The irises – the rainbow of notes from the Nero d’Avola and the Frappato – give off a fiery aura – which is the kind of experience that I feel this wine offers.”
Interbrand carried this poetic imagery through into the wine’s visual identity too. On the label, two circles (irises) meet, generating an elegant golden spark; they represent both the union of the two grape varieties that go into making Iri da Iri, as well as the meeting of two worlds, each with their own history. One is full, intense and unique, like the aroma of the Cerasuolo di Vittoria Cru. The other is concentric, symbolising the varied, millennia-old wine-growing culture of the Ragusa area, and the winemaking expertise of Valle dell’Acate. The graceful typography expresses the wine’s distinguishing characteristic and completes the brand architecture project that began with Valle dell’Acate’s Bellifolli collection which Interbrand worked on last year.
“Once again, this bottle lets the wine speak to tell a story. Another splendid Sicilian tale from the book of Valle dell’Acate”, said Paolo Insinga, Executive Creative Director of Interbrand Milan.
“The journey we embarked on with Valle dell’Acate is the result of a broad vision: to tell the international audience about this Winery’s excellence through the power of branding and design,” said Manfredi Ricca, Interbrand’s Global Chief Strategy Officer.
In Verona, Valle dell’Acate is also offering a preview of their Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG Classico 2017 and the new 2018 vintages of Zagra Sicilia DOC and Frappato Vittoria DOC. It is also bringing back the family of Bellifolli, 2018 vintage; created with millennials in mind, these wines have already been met with in the last year. They are also previewing their Bidis Sicilia DOC Chardonnay 2014, il Moro 2015 and the Tanè Vittoria DOC Nero D’Avola 2013.
This year, Valle dell’Acate confirms their journey towards a responsible, sustainable future -borne out by the ICEA organic certification, which they received in 2018. They are also renewing their commitment to creating “small things that do great things,” with the aim of crafting a legacy for future generations.
For more information, please contact:
Caterina Piras
Marketing and Communications Manager
[email protected]