\nInterview by Gran Via<\/em><\/p>\n\n Thirty harvests, difficult choices, and unwavering professional consistency. Tonino Guzzo<\/strong> needs no introduction: one of the most respected oenologists in Sicily, a man who believed in Catarratto when almost everyone else had written it off\u2014and who now guides it toward a new season of awareness. In his words, one hears technical rigor, love for the land, and a rare clarity about the future. We sat down with him to discuss Catarratto, the responsibilities that lie ahead for winemakers and oenologists, and the role that ARCA<\/strong> can play as an ethical, cultural, and technical hub for the rebirth of Sicily\u2019s most emblematic grape.<\/em><\/p>\n\n Guzzo, you were among the first to defend Catarratto in its most difficult years. What convinced you not to abandon it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n For me, Catarratto was never a trendy choice. It has always been a matter of conscience. I\u2019ve always believed in its authenticity, in its ability to represent the soils and skies of inland Sicily. It\u2019s not a grape that gives itself up easily: it requires listening, patience, and study. But when you understand it, it rewards you with wines that are elegant, saline, and long-lived. In the early days, it was hard to defend it\u2014it was considered rustic, a workhorse grape. But in that rusticity, in that resilience, I saw its genetic strength. Today, the world is searching for honest wines. Catarratto has everything it needs to be among them. But it takes awareness, culture, and sensitivity.<\/p>\n\n Culture also means understanding the biotypes – the differences between Lucido, Comune, and massal selections. How important is that distinction today?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n It\u2019s absolutely essential. Talking about Catarratto in generic terms is a mistake. There are highly distinct biotypes with different agronomic behaviors, aromatic profiles, and phenological timelines. Lucido, for example, is more refined, with a more delicate nose. Comune offers more body but must be restrained. Then there are the massal selections\u2014the historic clones preserved by families that have made grape-growing a personal narrative. Any honest producer must understand what\u2019s in their vineyard. Because you can\u2019t make an identity-driven wine if you don\u2019t deeply know your raw material. It takes research, education, exchange. In this sense, ARCA can become a truly valuable laboratory.<\/p>\n\n You often speak of balance and respect. Are those the cornerstones of your winemaking philosophy?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Absolutely. Balance is everything\u2014not just in the vine, but in the mind of the winemaker. A wine is born first in the producer\u2019s thoughts, then in the vineyard, and finally in the cellar. If there\u2019s no respect for nature\u2019s rhythms, for the complexity of the vineyard, for the labor of human hands, then that wine will never have dignity. I believe in clean, essential, non-invasive processes. I believe the oenologist must be an interpreter, not a fixer. With Catarratto, this is even more true: it\u2019s a grape that resists manipulation. It must be accompanied, not forced.<\/p>\n\n Today, there\u2019s a risk that even Catarratto becomes a trend. How can we avoid that?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n With one word: truth. We must have the courage to say that not all Catarratto is good, that not all vinifications are equal, that study, investment, and time are necessary. Trends lead to rushed, superficial decisions. ARCA can resist that logic\u2014because it stems from ethical conviction, not commercial strategy. The diversity of styles is a strength, but it must never be an excuse. We must begin with the land, listen to the vineyard, and understand that each cluster has its own timeline. Only then can we build a credible narrative. And only then can we create wines that speak to international markets – not through exoticism, but through identity.<\/p>\n\n Finally, what is your hope for the future of Catarratto and those who cultivate it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n My hope is that Catarratto will finally be recognized as one of the great Mediterranean whites\u2014not just a traditional variety. And that those who grow it will do so with honesty, with vision, and with humility. That the value of inland areas, of elevation, of staggered harvests and artisanal labor will be appreciated. And that we return to seeing wine not just as a product to sell, but as an agricultural and cultural act. ARCA is a real opportunity to build that future. But the real work is done by people. And I continue to believe in it\u2014every single day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" One of Sicily\u2019s most respected oenologists, Tonino Guzzo believed in Catarratto when few were defending it. For him, it\u2019s a matter of conscience, not fashion. He champions its agricultural truth, the strength of its biotypes, and the need for deep knowledge and respect. For Guzzo, ARCA is an ethical and technical space where Catarratto can reclaim its dignity, depth, and a new season of awareness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1558,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arcasicilia.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1608","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arcasicilia.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arcasicilia.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arcasicilia.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arcasicilia.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1608"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.arcasicilia.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1608\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1609,"href":"https:\/\/www.arcasicilia.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1608\/revisions\/1609"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arcasicilia.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arcasicilia.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arcasicilia.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arcasicilia.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}