Sicily; The Wines of Mt Etna
Sicily is a captivating island with a fascinating history. It sits proudly in the Mediterranean Sea immediately south of the Italian mainland. It has a gorgeous climate, attractive beaches, charming villages and cultural treasures in abundance. The people are welcoming and the food is outstanding. Handsome men and beautiful women are EVERYWHERE! It is multilayered place with a complex political, religious and social history. As a strategic gateway to Europe, it has been conquered and occupied by many civilisations. Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Asians, Spanish, French, British, Germans and Americans have all left their mark. The diverse set of influences has created a magical place for visitors. It requires an extended visit to do it justice. Palermo, Ragusa, Syracuse, Catania, Taormina , Messina all possess unique and eye opening features. It has experienced its share of difficulties. Endemic poverty, disease and crime have plagued the island. The Mafia was born here. Many Sicilians emigrated to the United States in the face of challenging living conditions. However, there is an enormous generosity of spirit in the people and a visitor gets an overwhelming sense that life is GOOD here. I strongly recommend a visit.
We made our first visit in October of 2024. It was a wine centric trip and we plan on returning next year for a more complete tour of the island. We are members of Vines Global, a passionate group of wine lovers dedicated to tasting high quality wines worldwide. Our membership is an offshoot of our ownership of a vineyard in Argentina with the Vines of Mendoza Cooperative. We own 6 acres and produce 50 cases of wine annually. The owners and developers of the Vines of Mendoza have now established affiliations and partnerships with cutting edge wineries throughout the world. Vine Global sponsors trips to wineries in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Argentina and the United States. The itinerary includes meetings with the winemakers, learning their techniques, engaging in tasting and blending sessions and being offered the opportunity to produce your own labels. Culinary excellence is a core component of the program. There are lectures, panels and trip extensions available. Vines Global members are great company- fun, brilliant, enthusiastic and eccentric. These wine adventures produce great memories and the Sicily excursion last October exceeded expectations.
Sicily has been producing wine since 400 BC. Introduced by the Greeks and Phoenicians and then solidified as an important wine region by the Romans. Frankly, the quality has been uneven- a bad century here and there. Wine production completely ceased when the Arab Muslims controlled the island in the 9th and 10th century. There was a Marsala boom spurred by English investment with the 1800’s. That idyllic period for Sicilian winemakers came to an abrupt end with the phylloxera epidemic which destroyed vineyards on wide swaths of the island. The industry came to life again in the early 20th century, but was slowed dramatically by mass emigration and two world wars. Marsala became a poster child for poorly produced wine- cheap and undistinguished. After WWII, Sicilian vintners focused on quantity over quality and sold most of their grapes to large cooperatives. There was no quality control in agricultural practices and limited investment in wineries. By 1980, Sicilian wine was a bit of a joke internationally. I remember this era vividly because I developed my love affair with wines after I attended the Loyola Rome Center in the 70’s and received regular warnings that the wine from Sicily were an embarrassment to Italy and should be avoided at all costs. The issue was rather academic because very few Sicilian producers were exporting to the USA. Fortunately, a mini revival began in the late 80’s and the progress has been steady, if slow since then. Investment increased and serious producers like Planeta and Cusamano began to produce quality reds with the Nero d ‘Avala grape. Export increased and you began to see Sicilian wines in the Italian section of restaurant wine lists. Quality requirements (DOCG and DOE) were established and were proof that the new generation of winemakers were committed to excellence. Cersasuolo Di Vittoria became a cult wine. Finally, Mt Etna began to blossom as a boutique winemaking region in the last 25 years and these biodynamic and elegant wins were the focus of our trip.
We stayed in Taormina at the Grand Hotel Timeo. Great spot- lives of the rich and famous! The Four Seasons of White Lotus fame is a mile away and definitely worthy of a visit. We visited 4 Mt Etna wineries and tasted 12-15 wines. The bottom line is that something ambitious and special is happening on Mt Etna. The region remains a small player overall and only produces 3% of the wine made in Sicily. Significant and respected winemakers who have been successful at other wineries in Italy have laid down roots on Mt Etna. People like Salvatore, Geraci, Salvino Benanti, Luigi Varanelli, Frank Cornellison, Ariana Occhipitti and Andrea Franchetti all identified the potential and purchased vineyards and built wineries. Understanding this degree commitment and why trips of wine loving groups like Vines Global sellout justifies a discussion.
Mt Etna has unique profile. The vineyards are small. There is a major focus on natural processes with minimal intervention in the wine growing stage or in the winery itself. The featured grapes are indigenous- sui generis- you don’t see them in other wine regions. Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappucio are the red grapes and Carricante is the primary white grape. Mt Etna is an active volcano and relatively close to the eastern coastline. Each face of the mountain has a different micro-climate . The north face is cool with a varied topography-hillsides and ridges. The southeastern slopes are mild and rainy. The south-southwest face is dry, almost arid. The same grape will produce wines with radically different characteristics because of the striking climate differences. The common denominator is the soil- it is volcanic ash, residue and pebbles. There is no clay- there is no limestone. Volcanic soil is a mineral rich terroir and that is the key to understanding these wines.
The terroir produces distinctive flavour profiles. To one degree or another, every red wine we tasted were smoky, flinty, leathery. Texture and a great finish. You also detect red fruits, particularly cherry or raspberry. The earthy nature of the wine suggests cloves or black pepper. The wines are intended to have good ageing potential but the winemakers admit the track record is too short to make any final conclusion on that issue. The tastings were fun. The group had a wide range of reactions to the wines- some loved but others thought they deviated too much from wines we would traditionally categorise as great to outstanding. The Nerello Macalese reds were an acquired taste for me. My first reaction was the wine was too “thin” but I was more receptive as the week progressed. Frankly, the higher profile wineries did better and I now have an openness to continued experimentation with the Mt Etna Rosso. Some compare the Nerello Macanese to Pinot Noir, but I don’t see it. The agriculture practices were eye opening. The grape vines grow around a vertical pole of a chestnut tree and they grow very close to the ground- clove or cone structures. It is the ALBERELLO method. It produces funny looking vineyards. The harvests can be much later than in other wine regions although it depends on the vineyard’s location on the mountain.
There are other unique patterns in Mt Etna winemaking culture. First, it is a work in progress. Things are evolving each year. It has become synonymous with natural wines- no sulfur. Very little soil manipulation- let the volcanic terroir reveal its soul. Single vineyard production is also gaining momentum. The same winery will produce multiple versions of its Nerello Macalese - each contrada with its own geology producing its own vintage. Overall, lots of creativity here. I am not sure we will see top rated wines on a regular basis, but they will be a good option on your restaurant wine list for years to come. Enjoy. My favourite wineries are below. Keep an eye out for them
1. TENUTA DELLE TERRE NERE
2. PALMENTO COSTANZO
3. EMILIO SCIACCA ETNA WINE
4. FRANK CORNELLISON
5. PASSOPISCIARO
6. PIETRADOLCE
7. BARONE DI VILLAGRANDE
8. VALCERASA
