Imagine a volcano rising out of the depths of the Mediterranean Sea to a height of over 11,000ft. Still active and spewing smoke and lava many times a year, this angry volcano has a more peaceful side, where grapes are grown in the lava flows of years past and the wines are taking the region to new heights. Well, this volcano is Mount Etna, Europe’s most active. Located on the eastern edge of Sicily, just near the toe of the boot that is the Italian mainland, Etna is making minerally white wines from the native Carricante grape and complex, earthy and red fruit driven reds based on Nerello Mascelese, another native varietal. This week we’ll be exploring this exploding region!

The history of wine in Sicily is a long and winding path, while historians and archaeologist may not be sure when the first wine was made in the area we do know that the Greeks had introduced viticulture as early as 3800 years ago! While Etna has been a recognized DOC since 1968 Sicilian wines have long suffered little brother syndrome, often overlooked by their more famous Tuscan and Piedmontes siblings to the north, rarely getting the respect that they deserve and desire. Today, however, a few producers are pushing the envelope and making wines that demand a premium price, while in years past the wines were looked at as little more than "pretty good table wine", they are now beloved by sommeliers and wine retailers around the world!

The grapes Etna are found almost exclusively on Sicily. The main red, Nerello Mascelese is often described as Sicily’s Pinot Noir. It is mainly driven by red fruit but with a core of earthieness that comes out with age. Like Pinot Noir the grape is very site specific and can show many sides of itself depending on where it is grown, in some cases one producer may have many different single vineyard plots that are all noticably different. The main white grape, Carricante, is a bit harder to compare to another grape, it is kind of its own thing! It has notes of citrus and green apple, a bit of florality, a big hit of minerality and a interesting note of saline. The wines pair great with a range of foods, but we really love them with fish!

This week we’ll be trying a red and white wine from Etna, so join us, as always, at our downtown store from 4-6pm!