Music by Wagner resounds among Sicilian vineyards which inspired him thanks to Tasca d’Almerita

In 1881, German composer Richard Wagner, one of the leading figures of Romanticism and among the greatest musicians of all time, traveled through Southern Italy due to health issues and his deep love for the Belpaese, from which he drew peace and inspiration. It was during this journey that he arrived to Sicily (he would die the following year, in 1882, in Venice). As a host of the Tasca family, the historic noble dynasty that played a key role in the “renaissance” of Sicilian wine through the Tasca d’Almerita estate, Wagner stayed at the enchanting Villa Tasca, a renowned social and artistic salon of the mid-19th century between Palermo and Monreale. The villa also captivated figures such as Jacqueline Kennedy, Otto von Bismarck and Giuseppe Verdi - as Count Lucio Tasca, one of the “fathers” of modern Sicilian wine, once explained to WineNews - it was here that Wagner completed the orchestration of Parsifal, his final masterpiece and musical drama, inspired in particular by the swans that inhabited the lake amid the lush vegetation of palms, citrus groves, ficus trees and centuries-old acacias in one of the most emblematic gardens of Sicilian Romanticism (which also gave their name to Sicilia Doc Cygnus, the wine that brings together the native Nero d’Avola grape and the international Cabernet Sauvignon variety). At the villa, now recognized as an Italian Historic Residence and a member of the Great Italian Gardens network, Wagner also composed his final melody, “Tempo di Porazzi” (named after the Porazzi district of Palermo), gifting the manuscript to Countess Tasca d’Almerita as a token of gratitude. For more than 140 years, the original score remained in the care of the Tasca family. Today, however, German electronic musicians Boris Steffen and Gregor Schönborn reinterpret it through “The Wagner Gift”, a short film featuring a new composition and a performance at Tenuta Regaleali, accompanying “Lucio Pensiero”, the new Terre Siciliane Igt 2022 red wine by Tasca d’Almerita dedicated to Lucio Tasca. Once again, the project draws inspiration from the beauty of Sicily.
The documentary pays tribute to the vision of Lucio Tasca d’Almerita thanks to Alessandro Tasca, son of Alberto and grandson of Lucio, who decided to set the precious family manuscript in motion once more by inviting Boris Steffen and Gregor Schönborn to Regaleali and entrusting them with the score. Regaleali, the historic estate in Sclafani Bagni Contrada Regaleali, was already considered a model agricultural property by the late nineteenth century. Located at the heart of Sicily, it preserves the island agri-cultural heritage, from vineyards and olive groves to tomatoes and almond trees, surrounded by pastures and wheat fields. True to the productive tradition of the Sicilian baglio, it remains a daily source of the foods that sustain it, beginning with its kitchen garden, a genuine garden of delights. For several days, the two musicians lived and worked at the Tasca d’Almerita estate, transforming one of its spaces into a temporary studio and reinterpreting Wagner composition through the language of experimental music.
A new journey through the vineyards of Sicily gave rise to “The Wagner Gift”, an observational documentary produced by JustMaria and directed by Alessandro Albanese and Andrea Tomarchio. The film follows the creation of the new composition through to its final performance at Cozzo delle Ginestre, the hill overlooking Regaleali. Here, the score preserved for more than a century once again becomes a source of culture, while transmitting the spirit of “Lucio Pensiero”, which lends its name to Tasca d’Almerita new Terre Siciliane Igt 2022 red wine. A blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine celebrates Lucio Tasca pioneering vision in introducing international grape varieties to Regaleali during the 1980s, guided by the philosophy “Occhi alle stelle e piedi per terra” - “Eyes on the stars, feet on the ground”. The wine was recently presented in Rome at the historic Pandolfini auction house, where its large-format bottles will be auctioned in November 2027. A vision rooted in the idea of a legacy to be interpreted, transformed and passed on once again to the future, which continues to take shape today.