BAGLIO CEUSO
Built in 1860 in the Alcamo countryside, Baglio Ceuso is our winery: an iconic emblem of architecture in rural Sicily.
Ceuso,
a red with international ambition
In the ‘90s, we were blessed with a visit by Italy’s most distinguished winemaker at the time, Giacomo Tachis. This fateful encounter effectively launched a project with great ambition: to make an unforgettable Italian red wine. It seemed fitting that the name of the wine would be inspired by the baglio, Ceuso.
The baglio
The baglio is a traditional structure inherent to rural Sicily whose architecture dates back to medieval times. Its “introverted” structure consists of an outer exterior wall interrupted by a single entrance, giving way to a series of rooms facing a central courtyard. The baglio was traditionally the beating heart of Sicilian agricultural life; the place where all crops were stored, processed and often consumed. Still today, with over 150 harvests under its belt, the courtyard of Baglio Ceuso is like a convivial piazza teeming with life every day of every season.
Baglio Ceuso
In this eternally fascinating place, the most acclaimed Italian winemaker, Giacomo Tachis, gave life to Ceuso, a great red wine built for aging. The wine was exported around the world and with it, the name of the glorious baglio just outside the city of Alcamo. After years of maintenance forcing its closure, the structure reopened in 2023 following a careful restoration respecting the original architectural and the principles of sustainability that are inherent to Tonnino. The baglio contains a beautiful courtyard, several workspaces, an admirable barrel room and traditional vinification cellars with original cement tanks.
Alcamo, capital of wine
Between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the cultivation of vines witnessed a huge resurgence in our area, forever tying the history of Alcamo to wine. The fertile hills ventilated by the sea, the strategic location between Palermo and Marsala and the long-term vision of Ignazio Florio turned the Baglio Ceuso area into a pulsating hub for Sicilian winemaking. Three more structures were built over the course of a few years in the surrounding countryside. Even at this time, the people of Alcamo were recognized for their skills in viticulture.
The baglio:
The baglio is a traditional structure inherent to rural Sicily whose architecture dates back to medieval times. Its “introverted” structure consists of an outer exterior wall interrupted by a single entrance, giving way to a series of rooms facing a central courtyard. The baglio was traditionally the beating heart of Sicilian agricultural life; the place where all crops were stored, processed and often consumed. Still today, with over 150 harvests under its belt, the courtyard of Baglio Ceuso is like a convivial piazza teeming with life every day of every season.