Dietro Le Case: a heritage worth preserving

An old vineyard that has lived through decades of history, still producing grapes that tell the story of Menfi and of its agriculture

Dietro Le Case is much more than a productive vineyard to me, as it is deeply woven into my family’s story and into my own relationship with wine.

The vines descend from those my grandfather Lilly brought to the estate at the beginning of the twentieth century. Over generations, they have adapted to the microclimate and soils of Belicello, developing qualities that make this vineyard truly one of a kind.

The calcareous, pebble-rich soil, the proximity of the sea and the local climate have all helped shape the character we find in the grapes and the wine each year. But what fascinates me most is the diversity of the vines themselves. Different Inzolia phenotypes grow side by side here—a remarkable genetic variety that has survived over time, even as many of these forms have become almost impossible to find elsewhere.

Today, old vineyards are often replaced because they yield less, either with varieties considered more prestigious or with uniform clones propagated in nurseries. These choices can deliver more consistent crops and wines with more predictable profiles, but they also risk losing the complexity and diversity that, to me, are among the greatest gifts of viticulture.

That is why I am especially happy that Dietro Le Case has been included in the Old Vine Registry, an international record created to document the old vineyards that still exist and make information about them accessible. The diversity preserved in these vines is part of what makes our viticultural heritage so valuable.

Soon, you’ll find the 50+ symbol on the Dietro Le Case label, identifying wines made from vineyards at least fifty years old. For me, it means much more than simply stating the age of the vines. It is a way of sharing their story with people who may never have visited this vineyard: a story of history, tradition and culture, rooted in Menfi and in the agricultural identity of this place.

Old vines are not simply reminders of the past. They are living organisms, still evolving and responding to an environment in constant change. At a time when climate change is putting viticulture to the test, preserving them means protecting a wealth of biodiversity and knowledge—something that may help us find our way into the future.