THE JANUARY B-SIDES
Gurrieri — Southeastern Sicily, Two Wines, One Clear Voice (2024)
In the far southeastern corner of Sicily, around Ragusa, Comiso, and Chiaramonte Gulfi, wine has been part of everyday life for centuries. While winemaking in Sicily has been pretty authoritatively pinned to the Greeks around 750 BCE, in the 1800s, this area was a major source of wine shipped north to mainland Europe. Today, it’s one of the island’s most quietly compelling zones, thanks to a combination of limestone-rich soils, moderate elevation, cooling sea breezes, and wide day–night temperature swings. The result? Wines that feel unmistakably Sicilian, but fresher, brighter, and more precise than you might expect.
That balance is exactly what Gurrieri does best. Giovanni and Angela Gurrieri grew up farming vines here long before they bottled wine under their own name, and their estate reflects a deeply local point of view. Farming is organic, the focus is on native grapes, and the winemaking is intentionally restrained — no tricks, no makeup, just wines that taste like where they come from.
Gurrieri Sicilia DOC Grillo 2024
Grillo is often thought of as Sicily’s coastal white, and Gurrieri’s version embraces that identity while adding nuance from inland vineyards planted at moderate altitude. Warm days build flavor; cool nights preserve acidity.
The 2024 Grillo pours pale straw with green highlights and opens with lemon peel, grapefruit, wild herbs, and subtle floral notes, followed by a hint of sea air. On the palate it’s crisp and energetic, with clean citrus fruit, refreshing acidity, and a gentle saline snap on the finish. There’s just enough texture to keep it from feeling sharp, but the overall impression is one of lift and clarity.
This is Grillo doing what it does best: refreshing, savory, and extremely drinkable.
Pairing ideas:
Grilled fish with lemon and oregano, shrimp or calamari, seafood pasta, roast chicken with herbs- or, for a very honest high/low pairing, salt-and-vinegar chips.
Gurrieri Frappato Terre Siciliane IGP 2024
If Grillo is the sea breeze, Frappato is the heartbeat. This indigenous Sicilian red is all about perfume and finesse rather than weight, and Gurrieri’s organic farming and limestone soils suit it perfectly.
The 2024 Frappato is light ruby in color and wonderfully aromatic, offering cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, rose petals, and white pepper, with a faint savory note underneath. On the palate it’s lively and fresh, with bright acidity, gentle tannins, and a mineral edge that keeps the fruit feeling focused rather than sweet. It’s the kind of red that reminds you Sicily isn’t only about power- it’s also about elegance.
Serve it slightly cool and it becomes dangerously easy to drink.
Pairing ideas:
Tomato-based pastas, eggplant parm, caponata, pizza with mushrooms or olives, grilled tuna or swordfish, charcuterie, and picnic-friendly plates of all kinds.
