Il Sorriso (“the smile”) is a beautiful white wine that embodies the strength and passion of Western Sicily. Crafted from native grapes Lucido (70%) and Grillo (30%), it’s elegant, crisp and refreshing. Each bottle is a love letter to the sun-kissed, wind-swept landscape—and sure to prompt a smile from the very first sip.

This wine comes to you from Cristina Genna and winemaking partner Francesco Asaro. Cristina is a true daughter of Sicily and has winemaking heritage in her blood. Her grandfather (at 90!) still tends his vineyards and her father is also a winemaker. She tells us, “When you are born in Sicily, there is a great likelihood that you are born into a family that, one way or another, has a connection to the vineyard. Sicily is a land of abundant wine, with richness and variety in soils, microclimates, myths and legends. I am part of this fortunate group.”

Like many who studied and worked abroad, Cristina’s heart remained in her homeland, and she returned to Sicily to help strengthen and support its winemaking future. She chose to blend Lucido (a local specialty) and Grillo (a grape that has symbolic value for Sicilians, and represents her city, Marsala). After selecting the grapes, she turned to Francesco for his winemaking expertise to finesse the blend and achieve her vision: sharing the story of Sicily, in a glass.

Cristina recommends pairing Il Sorriso with grilled seafood, fresh shellfish or light salads to complement its vibrant notes of orange blossom, peach, lemon and wild herb. “With each sip, my hope is that you’ll be transported to our sunny shores, where the harmony of sun, sea and soil create wines that reflect the joy of life itself. Saluti!”

When Henry Dashwood dies unexpectedly, his estate must pass on by law to his son from his first marriage, John and wife Fanny. But these circumstances leave Mr. Dashwood's current wife, and daughters Elinor, Marianne and Margaret, without a home and with barely enough money to live on. Though John and Fanny inherit the family's vast estate, it is Fanny's shy, charming brother Edward who captures Elinor's heart. But before Elinor and Edward have a chance to express their tentative feelings for each other, Fanny contrives an excuse to send Edward off to London. Marianne, meanwhile, becomes swept up in a passionate affair with the dashing Willoughby, a very public romance conducted with so little prudence by Marianne that it earns her sister's disapproval. As Elinor and Marianne struggle to find romantic fulfillment in a society obsessed with financial and social status, they must learn to mix sense with sensibility in their dealings with both money and men.