Hibiscus

The Hibiscus winery has the distinction of being the only wine-producing agricultural company on the island of Ustica. Of volcanic origin, this island is located north of the Palermo coast. The company was founded by Nicola Longo in the 1980s who, with courage and foresight, began producing wines from native vines such as inzolia, catarratto, grillo and nero d'avola. Hibiscus is today managed by her daughter, Margherita Longo and her partner Vito Barbera and extends for around 10 hectares, with vineyards scattered in various districts of the island, often very close to the sea. The company produces typically island wines, which are inevitably affected by the proximity to the sea and the geological origin of the territory, i.e. volcanic. Margherita Longo, guided like many winemakers on our islands, by a marked visionary nature, has among other things undertaken the challenge of producing a truly particular passito wine, Zhabib, passito di zibibbo, born from the desire to create a sweet wine different from the universally known from Pantelleria, a wine that was diversified by the cultivation system of the vineyard and by a good acidity that made it fresh and fragrant, in its sweetness: Margherita won the challenge, Zhabib evokes all the heterogeneity and beauty in one sip of the island territory of Ustica, as well as becoming the best-known wine of the cellar. It should also be underlined that the company uses certified organic methods, both to guarantee healthy products and to preserve the surrounding environment for future generations. The company also dedicates itself to the cultivation of Ustica lentils, which have been a Slow Food presidium for almost 15 years. One of Margherita's most important and identifying objectives remains that of relaunching interest in the Ustica area and its food production, including wine, of course and, also through the diversification of products, it certainly manages to achieve the noble aim that has illuminated it since Always.