Manfredi Bianco Terre Siciliane 2025

When we first thought about doing a guided tasting on fortified versus unfortified wines, we knew we had to feature Manfredi from Marsala. To represent the unfortified, of course.

Franco Manfredi has a background as a lawyer, which obviously isn't the most straightforward path to becoming a winemaker. But he always had an enormous passion for food and wine. A passion that was further nourished during his studies in Rome and later in Milan, where he was a frequent guest at restaurants and got to know the owners and sommeliers.

Manfredi originally comes from Marsala on the west coast of Sicily, where he has returned to make wine inspired by tasting his way through Rome and Milan. Vincenzo Angileri from Viteadovest in Marsala has been a great inspiration and even a turning point in his life. Every summer during his studies, Manfredi came back to the island to study and explore the world of wine under Vincenzo's guidance. In 2020, Manfredi released his first vintage from vineyards around Marsala, which today consist of a modest 1.5 hectares with 20 to 25-year-old vines of Grillo, Zibibbo, Catarratto, Nerello Mascalese, Nocera, and Corinth. Work is done by hand according to tradition and with minimal intervention.

This wine is a luminous blend of Grillo, Catarratto, and Zibibbo. Each variety destemmed and fermented together, spending two days on the skins to bring a gentle hue and subtle grip. It feels sun-kissed, smoky, coastal, salty. A type of yum we haven't come across in a long time and we love that.