We pass by the ruins of Montevago until we reach the Azienda Agricola (Farming Enterprise) La Chiusa. The area where the earthquake struck in 1968 is completely devastated. It is as though Saturn passed through here, leaving no stone unturned. This visit contains a lesson about life: the presence of youth shows us that the cycle of life continues in this land. La Chiusa provides a perfect example. The farm is not an inheritance that will be left to the next generation, but as a result of a decision made by the Ientile brothers, each of whom has his own particular skills, and a peculiar approach to cultivating the land. They disseminate the vines throughout their estate, respecting nature’s own rhythms, The family enterprise produces wine, oil and typical Sicilian products in small quantities but of great quality. Stefano Ientile tells me that the first wine they produced was the white Pietragialla, made exclusively with native Cataratto grapes. The family is so attached to the red Tafù, pure Syrah, that they gave the same name to one of their puppies. Efforts are rewarded. Here memory is cultivated not just as a sterile exercise in remembrance but to stimulate new life.
