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Like many wine regions around the world, the wines of Sicily have improved exponentially over the past 30 years.
The benchmark of most Sicilian winemakers has evolved from quantity to quality. But perhaps the most surprising development in Sicilian winemaking in the last generation has been the coming of age of wines from the volcanic region of Etna.
Antonio Benanti gets excited as he climbs the rugged terrain of Mount Etna, on the northeastern corner of Sicily, to show where Cantina Benanti will soon be planting new vines in a region where wines have been produced for millenia. His family has just purchased a precious parcel of land next to the vineyard they already tend near Milo, on the high northeastern slope of the active volcano. “If you come back next year, he says, we will have planted new vines!”
The land where the Benantis are planting new “old vines” was painstakingly terraced generations ago, using lava rocks to build up the terrace walls. And just above the terraces, a flow of solidified lava marks the landscape from an eruption of Mount Etna in 1928. It stands a harsh reminder of what the people who tend the Etna’s vineyards constantly face.
AN ANCIENT TRADITION
Some say that viticulture on Mount Etna is a foolhardy adventure, since it remains one of the world's most active volcanoes. But it is precisely because of the eruptions and the rich volcanic soil that people have been planting vines on Etna's slopes since the Greeks colonized Sicily in the 6th century B.C. Etna's vineyards are among the oldest in the world. They escaped the phylloxera epidemic that devastated most of Europe's vineyards in the late 1800s because Etna's volcanic soil was resistant to phylloxera.
SPECIFICITY
The DOC region of Etna circles Etna's eastern slopes from north to south; the highest commercial vineyards in the world. Winemakers from the region today are creating some of the best reds in Sicily using a blend of 80 percent Nerello Mascalese grapes and Nerello Cappuccio (up to 20 percent). Etna’s reds – Etna Rosso – get their elegance and structure from the Mascalese. Their brawn and tannins come from the Cappuccio. Some compare Etna’s red wines to Burgundy or Barolo, but winemakers here proudly say they are unique.
Etna's main white varietal, Carricante, can be traced back to the 9th century. Etna Bianco is made up of at least 60 percent Carricante. Another grape, Catarratto, can be added to some white wines. The whites range from lean and acidic to structured and full-bodied, with the common denominator being an intense minerality.
A SURGE IN POPULARITY
Antonio and his twin brother Salvino run the Benanti winery now, but it was their father, Guiseppe Benanti, who is credited by many as the man who brought the wines of Etna to new levels. “In 1988, when he decided to begin making wines, many of the old Etna vineyards were abandoned and decrepit,” says his son Antonio. But in the past three decades, Etna winemaking has grown exponentially. There are now more than 100 wineries, and producers are falling over each other to get a few acres of vineyards on the mountainside. Among them are Terre Nere, founded by an American, Marco de Grazia. Several big Sicilian winemakers like Planeta and Tasca d’Almerita have also opened wineries on Etna. Barone di Villagrande is another famous winery and resort on the mountainous slopes.
Wines from the Etna region can be hard to find in Canada. But if you are travelling to Sicily, or if you can import privately, they are worth trying out.
SOME ETNA FAVOURITES
Benanti Rovittello Etna Rosso
A classic blend of Mascalese and Cappuccio grapes grown at at about 760 metres elevation. A full-bodied,fruity wine.
Benanti Pietramarina Etna Bianco
Made from 100percent Carricante grapes, this wine matures in stainless steel vats before bottling. This white wine is amazing and elegant and has a great ageing potential.
Terre Nere Calderara Sottana
Another single vineyard red wine from old-vine grapes. Aged 18 months in new and old oak. Floral, spicy, aromatic, balanced. Pair with red meat, venison, poultry, pasta.
Planeta Etna Bianco
Planeta is a major player in Sicilian wines; they opened a winery on Etna in 2008. This white wine is 100 percent Carricante. Mineral scents with a rich bouquet of green apple and wild flowers. Good with a meal or as a sipping wine.
- by Laurent J. Lavigne, guest contributor. Lavigne is a thirty year veteran reporter and editor for CBC, and passionate wine lover and traveller.
