These are the Mortilla sisters, Angela and Valentina, who inherited the family wine business from their father (who inherited it from his father!) Wine making is a male-dominated industry in Sicily so the sisters were unsure they could carry on the family legacy. Emboldened by their cherished childhood memories on the estate, they decided not to part ways with it, and today the business thrives under their strong, progressive leadership. Even the packaging of the bottles was reimagined to represent womanhood and link it with Sicilian mythology.

Tenute Senia is located in one of the most renowned districts for wine production called “Senia”. Since the transfer of leadership, the winery has won numerous awards and the sisters have grown empowered by guiding the winery into a new era.

This is the first time I had been introduced to the expressions “Controlled Designation of Origin” (D.O.C.) or “Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin” (D.O.C.G.) This means  the wines are produced in compliance with strict regulations that guarantee their high quality.

DOC and DOCG wines are both wines with a designation of origin, but DOCG wines have an additional “garantita,” or guarantee, by the Italian government to be wines of especially high quality. The classification means that a governing body oversees and controls production methods in the vineyard and in the winery and guarantees the wine’s quality through a tasting panel.

In addition to wine tasting, we had a delicious lunch. As with most Italian meals, food is served in small servings but in multiple courses! Everything is seasonal, fresh and local to the area.