• My name is Marilena Barbera
    and I am a winegrower.
    I live and craft my wines in Menfi, Sicily.

Who I am

Who I am

Making wine is my life choice.

When I returned to Sicily after years away, I found the vineyards and my father’s dream waiting for me. I took that dream and made it my own.

To live here, to feel the energy of this beautiful, challenging land, seeking to understand its essence and capture its generous soul.

To be witness and guardian of terroir, preserving its integrity, absorbing its vital force, and channeling its deep, captivating spirit into every bottle.

No tricks, no frills. Just wine.

My wines

My wines

I craft my wines through biodynamic farming, guided by a deep respect for Menfi's terroir.

Synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and systemic chemicals have no place in my vineyards: preserving environmental health and a thriving biodiversity is paramount to protecting my living soils.

At the winery, I trust spontaneous fermentations and gentle, non-invasive practices. Intervention is kept to an absolute minimum to protect the raw identity of the grapes and their connection to the land they belong to.

Menfi and its terroir

Menfi and its terroir

The uncontaminated deep blue sea, with its remarkable scenery of sandy dunes covered with dwarf palms and sea lilies.

Blinding sunshine and a saline breeze that shifts from a warm African wind to a gentle westerly, or cool northern current. The Belìce River winding lazily through endless vineyards and ancient olive trees.

A sustainable viticulture that thrives close to the Greek ruins of Selinunte, where Sican, Elymian, and Phoenician heritages intertwined, giving birth to one of the richest cultures in the Mediterranean.

This is Menfi: sea and wind, air and light, and the fascinating depth of an ancient history. And this is what lives in my wines.

My story

My story

Three generations of winegrowers at Tenuta Belicello: a century-long legacy of love and respect
Wine book

Wine book

Always up-to-date with all available wines and vintages: ready for browsing, or for immediate download

Photo album

Photo album

Snapshots of wine and vines, earth and sky, available for download in HR - please cite the source

Video gallery

Video gallery

My YouTube channel sharing life at the estate, harvest stories, special events and wine tastings

NEWS FROM THE BLOG

Between a road map and a winery notebook, a personal digital moleskine with notes on winemaking, tastings and events, people I meet, places I see: my everyday life in the wine world.

  • Menfi DOC: Wine and Terroir

    Menfi DOC: Wine and Terroir

    The DOC Menfi Appellation: from history to landscapes, and from climate to grape varieties, everything you need to know about one of the most interesting wine regions of Sicily.

    Read more

  • Zibibbo, a story of Sicilian identity

    Zibibbo, a story of Sicilian identity

    Zibibbo is one of the rarest grapes in the word with a triple attitude: it is a wine grape, a table grape and a raisin grape. Learn about its long history that dates back 5.000 years.

    Read more

  • What wine producers can do for climate change

    What wine producers can do for climate change

    Electricity is a significant expenditure items in a winery’s budget, and it has a great environmental impact. My energy-related choices make my winery 100% sustainable.

    Read more

  • Wild yeast and the miracle of life

    Wild yeast and the miracle of life

    Wild yeast and spontaneous fermentations, key points of the natural wine movement, are linked to Mediterranean traditions that remain a source of inspiration for winegrowers all over the world.

    Read more

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