Cult wine and Sicilian wines not from Mount Etna are rarely used in the same sentence but, when it comes to Arianna Occhipinti, the term ‘cult’ may actually apply. A generation of young sommeliers and wine professionals consider her as one of the most important winemakers in Italy and the spiritual leader of an entire revolution in Sicilian winemaking. Not bad for someone in her mid-thirties, right?

Located in the rural southern Sicilian town of Vittoria, Arianna has indeed been the prime mover in the quality movement sweeping the wine business in this part of Italy. She attributes being in the right place at the right time and her growing up in the industry under the tutelage of her famous uncle, Giusto Occhipinti, for her success—and, I believe, an unquenchable drive to make great wine. Giusto was one of the founders of COS winery, the estate responsible for challenging every basic assumption anyone ever had about winegrowing and winemaking in the region. Over several decades, Giusto shifted the focus of COS from producing an ocean of innocuous bulk wine to the artisanal production of soulful, truly outstanding wines reflective of one of the most unique terroirs in the world.

Arianna started at COS at 16 learning how to make wine and work in the vineyards. She brought the experience she gained there with her when she developed her own project. Now that she has more than a dozen vintages under her belt, she’s considered the leader of a new generation of wine producers in Italy who create wines more evocative of their origins than just the talent of the winemaker.

The Bianco is simply gorgeous! Made from the very local Albanello and Moscatel de Alejandría (Zibibbo) grapes, it’s a rich, mouth-filling white packed with citrus, wild fennel and mineral flavors. Despite coming from the exceedingly hot and dry 2024 vintage, the freshness and stony pop is impressive! This is a savory, exotic and thoroughly delicious wine!