Purato: pure by name; sustainable by nature

One of Italy’s leading advocates of sustainable, organic winemaking, Stefano Girelli lives and breathes sustainability. Third generation of the Girelli winemaking family, Stefano has spent his life producing wine in regions the length and breadth of Italy, and for the last two decades his passion and focus has been firmly on making wine in the most sustainable way possible.

“The Purato range really sums up everything we do – it is super-sustainable, we call it “green to the extreme”. It’s organic, carbon neutral, vegan-friendly, with recyclable, eco-friendly packaging from the glass to label to the cardboard boxes. “explains Stefano. “Last, but not least, the wines are characterful, approachable and great value for money.”

The name “Purato” comes from “puro”, meaning pure in English – Purato is simply wine in its purest form. Wine is a natural product, defined by the quality of the grapes with which it is made and the island of Sicily has the ideal climate for growing organic grapes, as well as other wonderful fruits and vegetables. Sicily has abundant sunshine, low rainfall and cooling sea breezes, all contributing to make for perfect, natural growing conditions, where there is no need for chemicals and pesticides.

“Purato: organic and sustainable, carbon neutral and delicious”

Organic

At the vanguard of organic winemaking in Italy, Stefano was one of the first winery owners in Sicily to become certified organic. Committed to minimising human impact on the planet, Stefano follows organic practices in the vineyard and in the winery and every element throughout the winemaking process is done in the most sustainable way possible. “Organic is not just a choice, but a way of life. Not only is it better for our bodies and for the planet, but organic wines taste better too! Over ten years on from becoming certified organic, we are confident we know what we’re doing.”

Clearly no chemicals are used in the vineyard or the winery, and natural methods are used throughout, such as growing the local favino beans between the rows to use as fertiliser and only using rainwater for irrigation.

“We are very lucky to have such perfect conditions for growing organic grapes where we are in Sicily,” Mother Nature has given us a great start, but then it is up to us to ensure that everything is done in the most natural way possible. We have to think about the whole picture – the whole ecosystem – in everything that we do and the legacy that we will leave behind for future generations.”

Carbon Neutral

Purato wines are one of the very few wine brands that are carbon neutral and the work behind becoming and remaining Carbon Neutral is significant and continuous. While it’s possible for wineries to reduce their carbon emissions using sustainable practices (e.g. solar power, lighter glass), it is impossible to produce wine without creating any carbon emissions, thus they off-set the level of emissions. Purato wines currently support the Theni Wind Power Project in India. Since becoming Carbon Neutral in 2016, Purato has offset around 3, 800 tonnes of CO2. One tonne of CO2. is equivalent to a return flight London/New York or a medium- sized car travelling 4.800 km.

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The wines

Purato Cataratto/Pinot Grigio Terre Siciliane IGP

Purato Cataratto Pinot Grigio is a blend of the native Sicilian Cataratto grape and Pinot Grigio, which grows extremely well on the island.

Purato Rosé Terre Siciliane IGP

Purato rosé is a lovely dry, crisp style of rosé, it suits any kind of occasion and complements a variety of different dishes. Purato rosé is made primarily from Nero d’Avola, blended with a small proportion of other local red grapes.

Purato Nero d’Avola Sicilia DOC

Many people think of Sicilian reds as being very robust and tannic, but this is not the case with our reds, including the Purato Nero d’Avola which is packed with punchy fruit, it is smooth and silky, with lovely black fruit flavours.

Purato Siccari Nero d’Avola Appassimento Terre Siciliane IGP

An Appassimento style blend of Nero d’Avola and Syrah, where a proportion of the grapes are left to dry on the vines and on racks.

Purato Spumante Brut

Made from the indigenous Sicilian grape variety Grillo, this is a delicious and completely dry alternative to Prosecco.

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