Since the 12th century, Benedictines have enjoyed their own wine from their Abbey of Santa Anastasia near Cefalù (north coast of Sicily). Francesco Lena, contractor and owner of Abbazia, has realized an ambitious and unique project here and created a first-class flagship wine estate. The abbey has been renovated and expanded into a pretty hotel. The adjacent winery receives the grapes from the generous surrounding vineyards that round off this magnificent property. What is possible in the south of Italy becomes very clear here. Together with Giacomo Tachis, arguably the most talented oenologist in Italy, he was looking for refined combinations of old local grapes with suitable European noble varieties. On the Montenero vineyard, on the other hand, Syrah and Cabernet Franc were grown, so that a modern wine with wonderful race and abundance thrives here. From 2000, the entire production of Abbazia was converted to organic viticulture and the wines have since made a veritable quantum leap in quality.