Three friends founded Azienda Agricola COS, in 1980: Giambattista Cilia, Cirino Strano and Giusto Occhipinti. The acronym of their last names is where the name for the winery – COS – comes from. For those in the know, the beautiful squat bottles coming from Azienda Agricola COS in Vittoria are soulful wines with endless personality, character, and class. The trio of friends behind COS make a wide variety of bottlings that represent the terroir and grapes of Sicily while also incorporating modern and ancestral techniques in the winery.

Their reputation in Vittoria for working with the local varieties of Nero d'Avola and Frappato, in addition to their work with biodynamics and progressive techniques in the winery, is among the best on the island. The climate in the vineyards is more temperate than what you traditionally find in the hills of Ragusa. They are higher in altitude, providing a milder climate than that of the Hyblaean Mountains, decidedly Mediterranean. This factor notably influenced the cultivation of specific crops in the Vittoria area and the plateau of Comiso. The area has particularly fertile soil and has been sought after by nearby peoples for centuries.

Elevage in the winery can differ quite a bit from wine to wine, as Giusto Occhipinti spent many of the early years experimenting with different means of fermentation and aging. In addition to neutral casks, they often utilize concrete tanks and even 440-liter clay amphorae.