Last Night's Wine

Friday we went up the slopes of gently smoking Mount Etna to visit some unique, classy and very ancient vineyards. Today (2nd June) … BOOM! We didn’t realise the danger.

The very Ancient Greeks first recognised the potential of Etna’s strange volcanic soil. Then so did the Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Hohenstaufens, Angevins, Aragonese, Spanish Habsburgs, Savoyards, Austrian Habsburgs, Bourbons, the Kings of Italy,Garibaldi and his Italian Republic, Americans and Brits in the war … and now Easyjet.

Never a moment’s peace here.

Despite the chaos and the exploding mountain, Etna wines became quite sophisticated and widely traded. Twenty or so years ago some adventurous (mad) winemakers proved the mountain’s classy wine potential once again. Big money and big names moved in. As they always do.

So did an old friend of ours. Not rich, not famous but a guy determined to do wine properly on his native island, to respect its traditions and protect the unique ecology.

Etna has been called ‘The Burgundy of the Mediterranean’. Normally you think for wines of refined elegance you must head to the cool northern vineyards. Here, instead, you just head up the winding roads. After all, if Etna isn't the tallest mountain in southern Europe it soon will be … because it’s growing. This altitude gives it a cool climate but with the bonus of much more useful sunshine than up north. Nonetheless harvest still take place as late as November.

But it’s not a big region; in other parts of Italy you find individual estates that are bigger than all Etna DOC. Principally it grows Nerello Mascalesea Red grape, often compared to Nebbiolo or Pinot Noir for its structure and aging potential. For white wine it’s mostly Carricante a white grape known for crisp, mineral-driven wines with great longevity.

Laithwaites