Planeta – Sambuca

Located near Sambuca di Sicilia, a town of Arab origin on the shores of Lake Arancio, the Ulmo estate is the first of the Planeta winery, inaugurated in 1995. Surrounded by 93 hectares of vineyards of various varieties, it is set in a landscape of rare beauty, with a winery built just a few meters from the 16th-century Baglio, which has always been owned by the family.

Here, the Planeta Chardonnay is born, one of the winery’s top wines, along with the single vineyard crus: Merlot Sito dell’Ulmo and Syrah Maroccoli, as well as the regional wines: Alastro and Plumbago, respectively Grecanico and Nero d’Avola in purity.

The basement

‘Ulmo’ is the historic winery. Architecturally in harmony with the territory and local traditions, it features fermentation tanks on the ground floor. In the underground barrel room, which houses around 700 barriques, the aging of the grapes and the Brut Metodo Classico takes place.

The tour

The visit to the winery and vineyards is followed by an aperitif featuring a tasting of 4 wines accompanied by local products and a selection of extra virgin olive oils produced by the winery. It is possible to enhance the tasting with additional wines chosen from the shelf (winery list prices).

Soils

Ulmo – 51 hectares

The valley, once traversed by a river, has now become a lake; this has contributed to creating deep soils with an abundant stony substrate. The higher soils, on the other hand, are more calcareous, with dark and organic matter fractions.

The desire to enhance the territory led to the inauguration of an open-air museum, Iter Vitis, dedicated to the history of Sicilian viticulture. This includes an educational field where visitors can observe all the Sicilian grape varieties as well as some ancient Georgian ones. Additionally, it is possible to explore the nature trail La Segreta, which offers three walking routes along the vineyards, revealing wild corners and unique landscapes.