7/16/26 - 

Sicilian wines are as diverse and interesting as the history of the region, with various empires rising and falling, eras of prosperity from natural resources, and then joining unified Italy less than 200 years ago! Wine and history are inextricably linked, and is in my opinion, the most fun way to learn about a place. I have been so lucky to meet some exceptional Sicilian growers lately reminding me why I am so charmed by wines from this region. Today's offer is a fantastic mix of bianco, rosato, and rosso from four growers, all working in traditional methods with respect for their special corners of the island.

Vino di Anna

I had the privilege of meeting Anna Martens while she was in town recently, and learned how ambitious she is! Her and her partner, Eric Narioo, have such a strong philosophy on farming and winemaking. 15 years ago, they were able to start purchasing very old vines on Etna and an extremely old palmento (the ancient winemaking structures of Sicily). These are raw wines, yet show great clarity and precision. Fermentation is with ambient yeast and no temperature control, no filtering, and tiny amounts of sulfur is used only when necessary. They implement a mix of various vessels for aging; lava stone, chestnut, French wood, Georgian qvevri, glass and stainless steel, this changes from vintage to vintage to best highlight what the grapes need each year. These are strikingly pure and expressive wines that capture the terroir of Mount Etna. More notes are in the collection about the 5 wines on offer today.

Federico Curtaz

Like many of my favorite producers, this one was introduced to me by a dear friend. We drank Kudos a few years ago on New Years Eve and it glued itself to my memory with its depth and concentration. For the next few years, I would order a bottle here or there on wine lists, and finally I am bringing in three wines for the CSW shelves. Federico was the agronomist at Gaja for 15 years, and his interest in Sicily drew him to the region where he started his namesake project over 10 years ago. The wines are exceptionally pure, concentrated, and multi-layered with great energy. His top white wine, 2021 Kudos Etna Bianco Superiore, comes from the prestigious Rinazzo contrada around Milo- the area known for some of the best Etna Bianco earning 'Superiore' designation. His 2022 Gamma Etna Bianco is more vertical, fresh, and exuberant. And finally, the 2021 Purgatorio Etna Rosso is a silky joy to drink with floral spice, blood orange, and red fruit with smoke, licorice and herbs. 

Graci

I have loved Graci's Etna Rosato for many years and recently I was able to taste through a deeper lineup of single contrada bottlings with Alberto Graci. He is on the north side of Etna with vines averaging 600-1000m in elevation spread across 5 contrade. Alberto told me how important biodiversity is to him, evidenced by his continuous planting of trees around the vineyards and between ungrafted, old, vines.

His Etna Bianco have a certain "sweet salt" quality, in his words, and the reds vary from delicate to more powerful depending on the site. With Graci's wines in particular you can feel the site-specificity in the bottle- they are a study in the contrada of Mount Etna. Today we have 2 bianco and 4 rosso on offer today, as well as a restock of the 2025 Rosato.

Bonavita

Bonavita 2025 Sicilia Rosato is a stunning wine from Giovanni Scarfone on the far northeastern edge of Sicily with a view of Calabria over the water. This area of DOC Faro gets its name from ancient Greeks called "Pharii" who colonized this area and brought viticulture practices. Giovanni works in a way which respects ancient traditions and native grapes, and his total production is only 2 hectares! Part of that is even dedicated to other crops interplanted amongst these old bush vines like legumes, everything is farmed chemical-free. This is a very special small production rosato that tells the story of this area in the glass with bright juicy strawberry and watermelon, and totally dry with incredible length. The maceration is quick, just overnight, and the aging is in a mix of concrete and stainless steel.

Bonavita Rosato is CSW classic and favorite of Jamie Wolff, and we are excited to have it back on the shelves for Summer. Here is a write-up with lots of interesting facts about proprietor, Giovanni Scarfone, including the history of his beautiful landscape.

-Marisa Licandro

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