Donnafugata's secrets to success in the wine-industry Spoiler: values, sustainability and gender equality have a hyge role

Italian genius stands out in the world for a lively mix of vision, ferment and identity, values perfectly embodied by Donnafugata, a historic Sicilian winery that today distributes its wine and family narrative in 60 countries.  At the helm of the winery are Antonio and Josè Rallo, sons of the winery's founders Giacomo and Gabriella Rallo, who united their passion for wine, land and culture by creating in the 1980s a brand that embodied a tradition that has now reached its fifth generation in a product that speaks of identity, history and innovation. We asked them to tell us about the origins, values and perspectives of one of the most important names in the world of wine in recent years, an innovative example of female entrepreneurship.

Behind the international success of Donnafugata, there is the evocative resonance of a name that fascinates and is inspired to one of the masterpieces of Italian literature, The Leopard by Tomasi di Lampedusa. The word donna, known all over the world, combined with the imagery of a female figure in flight conveyed by the illustrations of artist Stefano Vitale, characterize bottles such as Dea Vulcano, Bell'Assai, Sedara, Sherazade, Lumera, Anthìlia, Damarino, Vigna di Gabri and many other labels creating a wide range of artistic appeal that fascinates history and wine lovers from Italy to China, passing by Kazakhstan. Donnafugata tells through its product Sicily in every corner of the world, presenting sensitivity and truthfulness of the territory to elevate it as it deserves, starting from women. Donnafugata bases its business perspective on the females, encouraging entrepreneurship and empowerment since the creation of the brand. 

The relationship with art and culture also ranges in the support of Sicilian art: the winery has contributed to restore the works of art at the Agostino Pepoli Museum in Trapani, hosted and awarded the writers of the Tomasi di Lampedusa Prize, supported the Entella excavations with the Normale of Pisa and promoted the courses in the field of oenology at the University of Palermo, trying to relate with the values and culture of the territory at 360°.

"It is important for us to represent Sicily, to be an important Sicilian producer in order to bring high traditions and values of excellence and culture of a land which also lived dark moments".

Nowadays, 30% of Italian wine companies are managed by women, and although the number is still low, the prospects are rosy especially for those activities which are able to make a global market fall in love with their values, exporting a product made in the old and in the new world, consumed from east to west in different occasions and with different cultures related to it. Donnafugata is a shining example of this, and by following the family's footsteps of collaboration and vision, with the right method of enhancing wealth, even future generations will be able to enjoy the art of wine and pursue a career in the wine-industry. Sensorial and theoretical-practical training in wine making, transversality of skills and an innovative outlook are the key qualities to be obtained by studying and enriching one's personal passion in order to start a career in the world of wine, a flourishing sector for female entrepreneurship according to Josè Rallo. It is necessary to have the creativity and the courage to carry on one's own ideas in the business field, even in the world of wine, without being afraid to tell a product of infinite poetry.