Region: Sicily, Italy
Varietal: 50% Chardonnay, 45% Carricante, 5% Albanello
Tasting Notes: This delicious Sicilian white wine will take you to the seaside. Fragrant notes of white flowers, lime, almond, just-ripened apple, and pineapple take the lead. These beachy aromas preclude a distinctly saline, sea-breeze vibe that meets a flinty mineral spine that reins in this wine's naturally rich, sun-kissed nature. Balanced, dry, and food- friendly, Gulfi’s 2022 Valcanzjria Bianco finishes with anise, almonds, and a lingering texture that’ll call you for another glass, another small plate to enjoy with friends and family.
Pairing: Thai seafood stew or any Thai seafood dish. Shellfish and white fish dressed with this region's typical herbs and spices partner well with the tropical notes and dry, textual palate of this Sicilian wine. Put a bottle of Gulfi in the fridge, and whip up this Fragrant Thai-Style Clams in Coconut Broth By David Tanis. The two were made for each other. Other fantastic pairings include serving this with pan-seared or poached white fish, crab or fish cakes, halibut and chips, grilled or rotisserie chicken with light pasta and salad, pea-vine risotto in the springtime, roasted butternut squash bruschetta in the fall, spaghetti squash gratin in the winter, and grilled garlic shrimp skewers in the summer.
About: Gulfi is a wine producer based just north of the town of Chiaramonte in southeastern Sicily. Vito Catania wanted to continue the work on vines and olive oil initiated by his family in Sicily, more than three generations ago. His passion for wine and his homeland, Sicily, led him to develop this prestigious vineyard in his native country: Chiaramonte Gulfi on Monti Iblei in the province of Ragusa. Since 1996, he added innovation to the inherited tradition of his ancestors, from a long process of massal selection of vines to an extremely meticulous attention to the culture of its vines to create unique and prestigious Crus.
The vineyard, which begins precisely in Monti Iblei, in the region of Ragusa – the area of the traditional Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG – extending to the lower part of Sicily, Pachino, specifically in the DOC Eloro. These vines give birth to 4 Grands Crus of Nero d’Avola – as the French people could simply and clearly call them – with one unique difference: the terroir. It ends in Randazzo, the Etna DOC on the northern slope of the volcano, with more than 100 years old vines planted at an altitude of 850 meters. Grapes planted are Nerello Mascalese and some Nerello Cappuccio.
