Agricola VINB
| Vigneron | Biagio Di Stefano & Vittorio D’Angelo |
| Location | Chiaramonte Gulfi (Ragusa) |
| Size of Domaine | 4.95 ha |
| Terroir | Mediterranean climate with cool influences from the Hyblaean Mountains. Plateau at 230m in Vittoria with red sand over soft limestone; gentle slopes of calcareous clay around Chiaramonte Gulfi (425-500m). |
| Viticulture | Certified organic (Suolo I Salute). Practising regenerative farming. |
| View Agricola VINB wines ↓ |
VINB /vɪnˈbiː/ is a young and exciting project launched in 2022 by Biagio Di Stefano and Vittorio D'Angelo. The pair met while working for the Occhipintis – a name that needs no introduction on the Sicilian and Italian scene – Biagio assisted Giusto Occhipinti at COS while Vittorio was Arianna's right-hand man at her own azienda.
Biagio and Vittorio hail from Chiaramonte Gulfi, a small town in the Hyblaean Mountains (Monti Iblei), about 18km north of Ragusa in the Vittoria area – a region famous for its traditional agricultural goods including one of the finest olive oils in the world: the Tonda Iblea made from centuries-old trees (some exceeding 1,000yo!).
Like many young people from rural Sicily, they left home in their 20s in search of opportunities. While Vittorio worked as a programmer in Turin, we met Biagio in London, when he was sommelier extraordinaire at Fera at Claridge's (Simon Rogan). Although they had never crossed paths before, both were drawn back to their roots by a shared longing for the land and family traditions – they comment: "Childhood memories of making wine and olive oil with our grandparents were a big pull; it informed our decision to come back."
2020 marked a turning point: with work slowing during the pandemic, they spent more time in the vineyard and cellar, deepening their skills. What began as a passion project evolved into a serious venture. From a few leased plots, they now farm almost 5ha planted across three historical contrade.
Albarello (bush-vine) in contrada Ragoleti 
Agricola VINB's holdings comprise 2.7ha in the prestigious contrada Bastonaca, on the Vittoria plateau at 230m above sea level, in the historical heart of the Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG. Planted from ancient massal selections, the vines sit on typical soils of red sand (30–60cm) over soft limestone from the Pliocene epoch – well-suited for the making of elegant and aromatic frappato wines.
From 2023 to 2026, Biagio and Vittorio planted more vines (nero d'avola, frappato, grillo, and zibibbo) in the contrade Ragoleti and Ganzeria. Both contrade are located to the north of Vittoria, near Chiaramonte Gulfi, on the way up to the Hyblaean Mountains at around 500m altitude. The vineyards enjoy notably cool microclimates and sit on calcareous clay with more compact limestone (from the older Miocene epoch) compared to the Vittoria plateau. Some basalt layers are found in the contrada Ragoleti due to the ancient submarine volcanic activity that shaped the Hyblaean Mountains. Both contrade offer panoramic views stretching to the sea – no wonder the picturesque village of Chiaramonte Gulfi is known as the 'balcone di Sicilia' (Sicily's balcony).
Though the sea lies just 30–40km away, it's the Hyblaean Mountains and their west-facing exposure that most influence the terroir of Vittoria. With valleys running north to south, the range shields the vines from the warm Levante winds from the east, and there's cool air descending from the mountain peaks (986m at the summit of Monte Lauro) which helps moderate summer heat. Thanks to the elevation, a diurnal range of 15–20°C is common, preserving acidity in the grapes and bringing nuances to the wines. These conditions make Vittoria one of the coolest areas in south Sicily, ideal for producing wines with freshness, balance, and depth.
Biagio and Vittorio's work in the vineyards is primarily manual – labour-intensive farming rooted in local know-how passed from one generation to the next. They have adhered to organic principles from the very beginning, with full certification in 2026. Inspired by regenerative farming, their practices include the use of cover crops and green manure as biofertilizers.
VINB's approach to winemaking reflects the same philosophy they bring to the vineyard. Their inspiration comes from tradition that predates the creation of the Vittoria DOC and Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG, when winemaking was more rudimentary and intuitive. The two friends make a point of harvesting healthy grapes at perfect phenolic ripeness; they are mostly destemmed and gently foot-trodden in open vats (a nod to the palmentos of old), and macerations never exceed a week. SO2 is added only at bottling, at around 10–15mg/l. Gentle bottling is done by hand through gravity.
Biagio and Vittorio deliberately eschewed modern oenology and its trends to return to early principles, convinced that the true essence of Vittoria lies in freshness as well as ripeness. The result is a vibrant take on Vittoria with wines defined by balance, transparency, and above all character.
Frappato in contrada Bastonaca 
Agricola VINB Wines
ZAPPA E PUTA 2024
Terre Siciliane IGP
100% Frappato
100% Frappato (12.5% alc.)
'Zappa e puta' translates as 'hoeing and pruning' in local dialect – a saying that symbolises graft and the satisfaction of working hard to craft quality. This wine is made from 45yo vines in the historical contrada Bastonaca, planted in terra rossa – ferrous sandy clay – over a limestone bedrock. These are ancient strains of frappato (massal selection) with small bunches that are destemmed directly over the tank, leaving mostly uncrushed berries macerating for a week before going through a basket press. Around 20% whole bunches are laid on top of the destemmed berries in the open vat, acting as a cap – there is no manual extraction whatsoever (no pigeage, remontage or massage). Ageing occurs in fiberglass and old barrels of different sizes. This delicately extracted frappato is pure and elegant with a vibrant aromatic character, featuring ripe fruit and floral notes of Mediterranean scrub. The finish is long and savoury, with a gentle tannic pull.
D'ALTRI TEMPI 2025
Terre Siciliane IGP
60% Nero d’Avola, 40% Frappato
60% Nero d’Avola, 40% Frappato (12.5% alc.)
Biagio and Vittorio connect to their roots with the cuvée D'Altri Tempi ('of other times') – a tribute to their ancestors with this old-school take on Cerasuolo di Vittoria. As opposed to Zappa e Puta, the destemmed nero d'avola and frappato grapes are foot-trodden and fully crushed; they macerate for a short 48hrs – like in the old days – before being pressed into vats to complete fermentation. Aged for 6 to 7 months in fiberglass, the wine is vibrant and fruit-forward with an enticing rusticity. The nero d'avola brings structure and acidity, while the frappato adds aromatic lift and plump texture – a complementary combination that creates balance and depth in the purest tradition of Vittoria.