Turi Marino is from Pachino, a sun-soaked town in Sicily best known for its cherry tomatoes. But what really caught our attention is his wine.

He didn’t start off in artisanal wine. He worked in big wineries in California, Puglia, and Sicily. The kind of places where everything is done at scale and you learn by doing. Turi says he never liked the wines he made back then, but those years gave him the skills to go his own way.

His family had been making bulk wine for generations. That tradition was there. Turi just picked it up and gave it purpose.

Now he farms a few hectares and focuses on two Sicilian staples: Catarratto and Nero d'Avola. His wines feel like the island itself - full of sun and warmth, but always fresh, with just the right amount of tension.

He doesn't just grow grapes. He makes his own pasta. He makes soap. His labels are unmistakably his, stamped with his moustache and a good dose of personality.

No pretense. No shortcuts. Just wine with roots, made by someone who enjoys the work.