alaparuta is a small town in the province of Trapani in Sicily. Situated in hilly territory at an altiutude of 1,263 ft., the town was founded by Arabs and was once called Menzil Salh, or "the lady’s farmhouse." In the 15th Century, it became the center of a feud and the Peruta family refounded the village, around the medieval castle.
Salaparuta was rebilt after being completely destroyed in the Belice earthquake of 1968. It is mainly an agricultural center, producing olives, citrus, and other fruits including grapes which are its main product. Just as in the first half of the 1800s, they again produce a wine that is exported to northern Italy and France.
Salaparuta DOC was established in 2006. It's vineyards cover an area of about 1,500 hectares and can potentially yield one million cases of wine a year. However, there are currently less than ten winemakers there and the total wine production is less than 200,000 cases.
In a way the Salaparuta DOC reflects the wide transformation that has taken place in Sicily over the past 30 years, with renewed attention paid to native vines, such as Nero d’Avola, Catarratto, Inzolia and Grillo, and the introduction of vines from other nations, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Chardonnay, all of which have found an ideal habitat at Salaparuta.
