The Legacy of Gambino Vini
Where the mountain gives and the family shares
Jan de Weerd, Spoken Wines
This will hide itself!
The Legacy of Gambino Vini
Where the mountain gives and the family shares
Before the bottles and the cruise ships, before the tasting terraces and the generous lunches, there was only a small vineyard, a humble family, and neighbors walking up the slopes of Etna with jugs in hand. They came for wine — wine pressed by Vittorio and Maria Gambino, made in the old way, in the mountain’s shadow. It was not a winery then. It was simply a place where something honest and good was being shared.
Today, that same spirit winds through every bottle of Gambino wine: a family’s quiet promise to offer what is real, what is theirs, what is loved. A sincere sip of Sicily, meant to be shared.
From jugs to bottles: the story of an honest bottle of wine
Locals from Linguaglossa and beyond would make their way to the Gambino home with plastic jugs, seeking the homemade wine of a neighbor who simply knew how to make it right.
This quiet generosity soon grew into something more. With every filled jug came a conversation. With every sip, a story. Eventually, Vittorio and Maria decided it was time to bring the wine to the people, not just wait for them to climb the hill. The jugs became bottles. The circle widened.
What remains unchanged is the spirit: a belief in good wine at a fair price, without pretense or pageantry. Just a table, a story, and a bottle worth passing around.
Locals from Linguaglossa and beyond would make their way up the mountain to the Gambino
The table is set: hospitality on the mountain
Today, visitors still make their way up the winding mountain road, drawn not only by the wines and the views but by the warmth of the experience. This is no restaurant, and yet, the meals linger. Bread is broken, olive oil drizzled, cheese shared with a view of the vines and the distant sea.
Francesco Gambino, who returned to the family business in 2002, has helped shape this welcoming philosophy into something tangible. The winery now welcomes tens of thousands each year — from the U.S. military in Catania to curious travelers from cruise ships — all greeted not as customers, but as guests.
The Table Is Set: Hospitality on the Mountain
Growing with the mountain: Etna’s native grapes, bottled with care
Their small estate vineyard stretches across 10–14 hectares on Mount Edna’s northeast slopes, with additional plantings on the north and northwestern slopes, as well as, in central and western Sicily. But it is here, in the shadow of Etna, where the heart of the winery beats strongest.
Their Etna Bianco is a balanced blend of the grapes Carricante and Catarratto — bright, fresh, and unmistakably Sicilian. The Etna Rosso showcases Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, reflecting the terroir with subtle spice and dark fruit. And the Petto Dragone — made only from the best Nerello Mascalese barrels — is in its own category. We loved the 2021 vintage: refined, old-world, and layered with elegance.
These are wines made with humility and clarity — not to impress, but to accompany. Wines for tables, not pedestals.
