Valcanzjria Bianco Terre Siciliane 2024, Gulfi

Valcanzjria is a dry Terre Siciliane IGT white that brings together 60% Chardonnay and 40% Carricante, the principal white grape of Mount Etna. Both grow at Vigna Muti near Chiaramonte Gulfi, in southeastern Sicily’s Hyblean Mountains. The vines are farmed organically without irrigation in clay and limestone soils. At about 1,380 feet above sea level, the vineyard gets some relief from the Mediterranean heat as the grapes ripen.

Gulfi typically picks the Chardonnay in late August and returns for the Carricante in mid-September. The wine ferments with native yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel, matures in steel, and rests in bottle for a few months before release.

Pale yellow with green reflections, Valcanzjria opens with ripe apple, white flowers, and tropical fruit. Chardonnay brings a rounded, generous palate, while Carricante keeps it lively with bright acidity. A touch of anise and almond gives the finish a gently savory edge.

That combination of texture and acidity makes it a good match for baked cod with fennel, lemon, and capers, or shrimp pasta with fresh herbs. Try it with chicken braised with leeks and green olives, or roasted cauliflower risotto with toasted almonds. A plate of young Pecorino, olives, and good bread works just as well.

About the Winery

Gulfi’s story begins with a homecoming. In the mid-1990s, Vito Catania returned to his family’s Sicilian winegrowing heritage, developing the modern estate in 1996 around Chiaramonte Gulfi, in the province of Ragusa. His family had cultivated vines and olives for generations; his ambition was to give that inheritance a wider voice, especially through Sicily’s signature red grape, Nero d’Avola.

Working with Sicilian winemaker Salvo Foti, Catania helped shape a project built around the individuality of vineyards. Gulfi’s holdings extend across three distinct areas: the elevated Monti Iblei near Chiaramonte Gulfi, the sun-drenched countryside around Pachino in the southeast, and the northern slopes of Mount Etna. Keeping those places distinct has become central to the estate’s identity.

That thinking is especially clear in Gulfi’s separate vineyard bottlings of Nero d’Avola from Pachino. The grape remains the same, but each site offers its own interpretation. It is a persuasive argument for looking beyond a variety’s reputation and paying attention to the address where it grows. Gulfi Cantina

Organic cultivation, farming without irrigation, and traditional vine training underpin the work in the vineyard. In the cellar, the approach is deliberately restrained, allowing differences in fruit and place to remain visible. Vito’s sons, Matteo and Raffaele, continue the family’s work today.

Even the labels connect the wines to Sicily. Their image of Eros and Psyche draws on an ancient mosaic at Piazza Armerina, linking the estate’s love of its land with the pleasure of sharing what it produces. It is a fitting emblem for a winery whose ambitions begin in the vineyard and end around a table.