Centopassi, wines a hundred steps from Mafia.

I cento passi (The hundred steps) is an Italian film released in 2000, directed by Marco Tullio Giordana about the life of Peppino Impastato, a political activist who opposed the Mafia in Sicily. The story takes place in the small town of Cinisi in the province of Palermo, the home town of the Impastato family. One hundred steps was the number of steps it took to get from the his house to the house of the Mafia boss Tano Badalamenti.

In April of this year I had the pleasure of visiting the Centopassi Winery situated on the outskirts of Palermo, Sicily. It was an amazing experience. We visited the facilities of the winery, tasted several wines and had the pleasure of listening to the history of the winery.

Centopassi is manged by Libera Terra, a cooperative created with the aim of developing stunning but historically “difficult” territories. After a social and productive rehabilitation of assets freed from various mafia groups, the organization aims to obtain high quality products, which respect both the environment and the dignity of its workers.

The mission of the Libera Terra project is to give dignity to territories with a strong mafia presence through the creation of autonomous and cooperative farms that are self-sufficient, stable, and that are able to create work places, thereby establishing a moral economic system based on legality, social justice and market.

Tasting the wines listening the history of that land, people and vineyards brought different notes and perceptions. Is impossible not to relate the fear and the violence of Mafia with the wines. The most impressive note for me was the iron, ferrous aroma from the Nero d’Avola that made me remember the smell of blood. I was impressed by the quality, richness and personality of the wines. The initiative is beautiful and worth the visit.