Somm's Table

Perfect pairings from the other side of the equation.

  • About
  • Front of the House
  • Back of the House
  • Contact Us
Powered by Blogger.
Image borrowed from the Tenuta di Fessina website.
 
If there is one class of soils that settles the question of if you can taste terroir for me personally, it has to be volcanic soils. Maybe it’s possible that the vines themselves feel the thrill of growing around volcanoes because there just tends to be an energy in wines from volcanic regions that really set them apart. Italy has its fair share of these with many areas boasting volcanic soils running up and down the country, however, the largest active volcano today is Sicily’s Mount Etna. Today we’re going to better get to know this volcanic region (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013) and its grapes a bit better through the wines of Tenuta di Fessina.

Note: The wines in today’s post were provided as media samples. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

This isn’t the first time we’ve explored Sicily or even Mount Etna on this blog. In fact, to get an idea of the difficulties of growing vines on an active volcano, I invite you to check out this post. The volcano definitely affects the vines as well, and it comes through in the flavor of the wines. This quote from an article on Bloomberg.com entitled Boom: Volcanic Wines Are Heating Up Around the Globe describes the effects on the wines:
 
Wines from the several types of volcanic soils—lava, pumice, ash, basalt, and more—can vary widely, but most share complex aromas, mouthwatering high acidity, and salty, savory, earthy flavors. The porosity of these soils stores more water, which contributes to the wines’ characteristic freshness and exuberance.
 
Personally, I often register a lot of minerality from volcanic wines. Sometimes it comes across as a salty factor as mentioned above, other times there’s flintiness to the wine, or even smoke or full-on charcoal, and sometimes it’s a mix. As a lover of high-acid wines myself, I definitely appreciate and love the freshness that tends to go hand-in-hand with volcanic wines.

There are some additional bonuses to volcanic soils as well. For one thing, that pesky louse, phylloxera,  doesn’t do well in volcanic soils, so that’s one headache growers don’t have to worry about, and vines can even remain on their own rootstock. A lot of volcanic areas are on terrains that are difficult to mechanize, which means that they have to be worked by hand. While that particular aspect might make life harder on growers, it can work out to be a benefit for consumers since care must be taken while tending to the vines.

Of course, there is more to “terroir” than just soil. The weather, climate, elevation, and other aspects of the terrain, as well as many other factors all certainly have a part to play, but this is one soil that IMHO makes itself known. The volcano affects other aspects of the terroir as well.  The crags and slopes of any mountain help to create many microclimates. On Mount Etna, this is anything  but constant. Etna is an effusive volcano, which means that it's releasing gas and erupting on a pretty regular basis, rather building up pressure for many years before then having a huge explosive eruption. This is ultimately less devastating, but it also means that the landscape is being reshaped on a regular basis.

Etna currently stands at 3,326 m / 10,912 ft (some sources give the height at  3,350 m / 10,990 ft, and in truth, it’s actually constantly changing given the ash and lava), and you can probably guess that the elevation has a cooling effect. The highest of Etna’s vineyards are among the highest in Italy and even the world, and more and more winemakers are experimenting with planting vines at higher altitudes here.

Image borrowed from the Tenuta di Fessina website.
 
The vineyards on the volcano curve around its eastern side which faces the Mediterranean, running between the towns of Randazzo on the north side and Santa Maria Licodia on the south side. Vineyard areas on different parts of the mountain have different microclimates. The north side of the volcano is colder, windier, and even gets a fair amount of snow, while the south is sunnier but also gets more rain.

The interplay between the mountain and the sea is also important. Growers celebrate the way the water from the sea reflects light back up to the vines. Most of Sicily has no issue with ripening grapes given it’s warm climate, but this effect is beneficial for those vines that keep creeping further up the volcano.  

Sicily’s climate, in general, is pretty ideal for growing grapes. In addition to being warm and fairly dry, it’s also petty breezy which makes it a lot easier to keep vines healthy and free from many diseases and molds. That makes it a lot easier to grow grapes sustainably without the use of sprays. A big bonus!


TENUTA DI FESSINA


Image borrowed from the Tenuta di Fessina website.


Silvia Maestrelli is the woman behind today’s wines. She comes from an entrepreneurial Florentine family. She apparently brought that entrepreneurial spirit with her when she moved to Etna in 2006 and she started Tenuta di Fessina in 2007 after falling in love with the land. She brought on consultants and collaborators, including winemaker Federico Curtaz, to help her build her project. The volcano plays an important to her vision and winemaking philosophy as she says, “I look up to Mount Etna like a daughter would look up to a mother.”

Image borrowed from the Tenuta di Fessina website.

It also literally has shaped the vineyards. The winery is based in Rovitello and has seventeen acres of vineyards there (2,200 feet), as well as six acres between Milo and Santa Maria di Licodìa (3,280 feet). The vineyards in Rovitello are located between two ancient semicircular lava flows of the past that act like walls that isolate the vineyard, much like a French "clos."

Having vineyards on both sides of the mountain allows Tentua di Fessina to produce excellent expressions of the various indigenous varieties – and they work exclusively with indigenous grapes. Red grapes like Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, and the rare variety of Minnella, do well on the north side, while white varieties, do well on the south side. Carricante in particular is able to acquire both minerality and roundness, which complements its structural acidity.
            
I admit that I can’t quite tell from their website and press materials what farming methods they use, but as best I can make out they only intervene in the vineyards when necessary. All farming is done by hand, and as a rule all of Etna is dry-farmed. The age of their vines vary between 70 and 110 years old.

Image borrowed from the Tenuta di Fessina website.


A little daydream fodder for those of us anxiously awaiting the day we can travel again – the winery has seven guestrooms inside a 17th-century structure on the property.

Image borrowed from the Tenuta di Fessina website.



THE GRAPES

 
Tenuta di Fessina only works with indigenous grapes, so here’s a quick primer on some of the varieties in the wines we’ll be looking at today.

Whites


Carricante: An ancient white wine grape variety that’s believed to have been grown on  to Mount Etna for at least a thousand years. It’s known for having high acidity and often has a marked mineral note in the best examples. As far as fruit notes, you’re likely to find any or all members of the citrus family in your glass, along with hints of herb note. Carricante is the key player in white wines falling under the Etna DOC title. A minimum of 60% is required for standard Etna Bianco, and it’s bumped up to 80% in Etna Bianco Superiore.

Catarratto: This is the most planted grape in Sicily, and it’s rare to find anywhere else. It has tends to have lower acidity than Carricante and show notes of citrus, melon, herbs, and white flowers. You’re also likely to find it in Marsala wines.


Reds


Nero d’Avola: This is Sicily’s  most planted and celebrated red grapes. It tends to make wines with deep color and flavor, juicy acidity, and soft-to-medium tannins. You’ll find fruit notes ranging from bright red strawberries and sour cherries, to darker red and black berry notes. You’re also likely to find red floral notes, as well as sweet spices and licorice. Styles can range from easygoing, to much more serious and brooding bottles that beg for aging.

Nerello Mascalese: This is the second most planted red grape, but it’s popularity has been growing in recent years. It does particularly well in Mount Etna’s volcanic soils. It makes fresh, fruity wines with herbal notes, and lots of earthy minerality.

Nerello Cappuccio:
You’ll usually find this grape blended with Nerello Mascalese as it can help soften some of it edges, as well as adding color and perfume. You don’t find it on its own that often. It too does well on Etna’s volcanic soils, and particularly likes the higher altitudes. It shows cherry notes on the palate, and typically has lots of acidity and tannin.


                            

WINES & PAIRINGS


Over the last few months I’ve had the opportunity to try several wines from Tenuta di Fessina’s various lines, giving me the chance to explore many of Etna’s indigenous grapes as interpreted by one producer.

Here are a few of the wines and pairings we’ve enjoyed. I think you’ll see the volcanic notes play out in the tasting notes through minerality expressed in these wines. Also, you’ll notice that all of the wine names come from Greek and Roman references, which I find fun.

We’ve tried the white, the rosato, and the rosso from the Erse line, which is named for the Greek goddess of dew. These wines are made in a fresh style and are meant to be enjoyed young. The SRP on these is $24.99.

 
We enjoyed the Erse Etna Bianco 2017 (90% Carricante, 10% Catarratto & Minella) with a roast chicken dinner (mentioned here). It showed notes of bright citrus, accompanied by herbs. It rounded out in the mid-palate, before heading into a flinty finish. It was a nice alternative to Chardonnay (my usual roast chicken go-to) since it had that bit of roundness to stand up the chicken. This would also be a no-brainer for grilled seafood dishes thanks to all that minerality and citrus. (Geeky details here.)


 
I’ve really enjoyed the Erse Etna Rosato 2018!  (Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio.) It has a wonderful mix of juicy fruits and substantial structure. It showed bright red fruit notes, orange zest, and a slight hint of herbs. It was also quite structured and finished with a smoky, stony note. I mentioned in this recent post on rosé, that I really enjoyed it with a spread that included collard greens with smoky ham hocks, since the flavors played off of each other really well. I also recently had a bottle over a dinner with friends and tried it with Caprese salad and a light pasta dish that included asparagus with parmesan. It played nicely with everything, even the asparagus which can be tricky at times. I think it would also be a natural match for salumi. (Geeky details here.)

 

Erse Etna Rosso 2016 (90% Nerello Mascalese, 8% Nerello Cappuccio, and 2% Minnella & Carricante) was a medium-bodied and a nice balance of lively red fruits, earthiness, smoke, and a little anise seed. This was perfect with Eggplant Lasagna. (Geeky details here.)
 
Now we have a couple of high-low pizza pairings. Pizza dough has been a big project of mine during these last few months at home. Sometimes after putting in the work, I feel I deserve something a little nicer to go with it!
     

First up, the Laeneo Sicilia IGT 2017 (SRP $41.99, 100% Nerello Cappuccio). This wine is named for the bacchanal gatherings in honor of Dionysus in ancient Athens – and I am certainly a devotee of Dionysus. This wine showed notes of sour cherries, along with some riper red fruit notes to round it out, a little pepper, herbs, and smoky fennel salami, backed up by a little stone. It actually was a fantastic match with my sausage pizza. (Geeky details here.)


 a'Puddara Etna Bianco with Sficone


And finally, my spotlight wine today is the a'Puddara Etna Bianco 2017 (SRP $65.99). This wine is dedicated to Sicily and the name is a reference from Ovid and to the Pleiades that look over Sicily.



Nose: Grilled lemons, apples, and small white flowers.
Palate: All come back on the palate, but the fruit gets rounder and riper and is joined by notes of stone fruit. It’s complex with hints of herbs, Parmesan cheese rind, as well as flinty stoniness on the finish. It was on the light end of medium-bodied, but with a creamy texture to the midpalate lifted by plenty of fresh acidity, riding through to a flinty, stony finish.

Geeky details taken from the tech sheet.

BLEND: Carricante100%
PRODUCTION AREA: Biancavilla, Contrada Manzudda. The Biancavilla area is characterized by areas composed of small volcanoes and craters from remote eras now extinct, these led to the formation of limestone caves and a terroir composed mainly of clayey particles, lapilli leftovers, sand, and volcanic ash. There are small fractions of potassium, basaltic lavas, and ancient tuffs. The thermal excursion is sudden and wider than the north side, it is such that it reaches 86°F giving, with the fine and sandy skeleton, a vertical elegance and a unique strong minerality, that if combined with the high rates to the genotypic acidity of the indigenous varieties guarantee a very high aging potential for the Carricante, Nerello Mascalese, and Nerello Cappuccio grapes.

VINEYARD PLANTED: 1950
EXPOSITION: South
ALTITUDE: 2950 ft
VINIFICATION: Crushing without de-stemming after careful selection of the grapes in the vineyard and on the sorting belt in the cellar, soft pressing with separation of the musts, cold static decantation
FERMENTATION: direct fermentation in 3500 liter French oak barrels
AGING: Refined on the lees for 6-8 months
Alc: 12.5%

For this pairing, I decided to look to The Heart of Sicily for inspiration. I have a weakness for cookbooks and have way more than I should. In addition to actually buying them, I find it hard to resist them when someone’s giving them away, so I have a bunch that I no longer have a clue where they came from. This happens to be one of those books, but it turns out it was written by Anna Tasca Lanza whose family owns Tasca d’Almerita, another excellent Sicilian winery.  The book is organized by seasons and so I picked two out of the fall section – one to pair with this wine and one to pair with Tenuta di Fessina’s Il Musmeci Etna Rosso Riserva 2012 which I’ll be sharing very soon. 


I decided to adapt a recipe for Sficone, a Sicilian pizza, just because I couldn’t resist. This is a super cheesy version with caramelized onions and a little anchovy mixed in, although you really don’t taste them – they just add a little something to the background. When I say it’s super cheesy, I mean SUPER cheesy. It uses five different cheeses and I think I used maybe half the total quantity called for –– it was still incredibly decadent. We LOVED it! We typically go for thin crust pizzas around here, but couldn’t get enough of this thick, biscuity crust. The pairing was also wonderful. The cheese and a crust brought out the rounder side of the wine, and that hint of anchovy spoke to the salinity in the wine. Meanwhile, the citrus notes in the wine refreshed the palate between each decadent bite. The food and the wine elevated each other in the match, each making the other more luscious. This pizza pairing was on another level. 


 
 
Pizza
dinner, lunch, appetizers
Italian
Servings: 6 large slices or 12 appetizer-sized slice
By: Nicole Ruiz Hudson, Recipe adapted from The Heart of Sicily by Anna Tasca Lanza
Print
Cheese Sficone with Onions

Cheese Sficone with Onions

Prep Time: 10 MinCooking Time: 2 Hourinactive time: 50 MinTotal Time: 2 Hours 10 Min
This is a super cheesy Sicilian style pizza. The original recipe called for A LOT – I used about 1/2 to 2/3 of the quantity asked for on this pie. Here I've given a range, so basically use as much as suits you.

Ingredients

For the dough
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup semolina flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 (¼ ouce) package of dry yeast
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tbsp butter, diced
For the toppings
  • 2 medium onions, thinly sliced or diced (pick your textural preference, I went with diced)
  • Olive oil, as needed
  • 4 anchovy fillets, minced, or 1 tsp anchovy paste
  • 8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
  • ½ cup to 1 cup shredded Emmentaler
  • ½ cup to 1 cup shredded Gouda
  • ¼ to ½ cup grated Parmesan
  • ⅛ to ¼ cup grated Pecorino or Caciocavallo
  • 2 to 3 Tbsp dried oregano
  • Breadcrumbs, for topping
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Combine the flours in a bowl with the salt. Make a well in the center, then add the yeast, water, egg, and butter. Work the dough until it begins to come together, then blend in a mixer using the dough hook attachment for about 10 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Alternatively, turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead by hand. It’ll initially be wet, then start to become smooth after 3 to 4 minutes, and smooth and elastic after 10 to 15 minutes. Allow the dough to rest for about 15 minutes so that it’s easier to work with.
  2. Sauté the onions in a generous amount of olive oil over medium heat until they begin to turn golden and lightly caramelized – about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the anchovies or anchovy paste and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Oil a 9 x12-inch rimmed baking sheet drizzled with olive oil. Roll out the dough and shape to fit the pan. Spread the onion and anchovy mixture. Place the slices of mozzarella across the pizza, follow with the Emmentaler and Gouda, then Parmesan and Pecorino –– use as much cheese as is to your liking. Sprinkle the oregano and bread crumbs on top. Press the ingredients into the dough, cover with a kitchen towel, then put it in a warm spot and allow it to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  5. Place the Sficone in the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and the crust is golden brown underneath – about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve.
https://www.sommstable.com/2020/10/exploring-etna-with-tenuta-di-fessina.html
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @thesommstable on instagram and hashtag it #sommstable
Created using The Recipes Generator

 

*****
 
For more on Sicily, check out these posts:
  • Cooking to the Wine: Arianna Occhipinti SP68 Sicilia Rosso with Creamy Eggplant and Tomato Zoodles
  • A Passion for Sicily with Passopisciaro: An Interview with Sarah H. Bray, Part 1  
  • A Passion for Sicily with Passopisciaro: An Interview with Sarah H. Bray, Part 2  

*****
 
The rest of the Italian Food, Wine, Travel (#ItalianFWT) blogging group is exploring Italian wines from volcanic regions. Explore these fascinating areas by checking out their posts here:
  • Camilla at the Culinary Adventures with Camilla features A Single-Varietal Carricante, an Etna Exclusive, & Lapsang Souchong-Braised Duck Legs.
  • Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm declares Grapes Grown in Volcanic Soil Produce a HOT Wine!!!
  • Gwendolyn of Wine Predator has you Meet Mt Etna’s Volcanic Wines: Sicily’s Tenuta Monte Gorna and Tenuta di Fessina with Pairings.
  • Lynn at Savor the Harvest writes about Volcanic Wine in the Veneto.
  • Terri at Our Good Life shares Ashes to Ashes: Volcanic Wine and Sicilian Lentil Soup.
  • Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles offers Mount Etna – The Awesome Power of Active Volcanos, and Yes, Red Wine with Fish.
  • Linda at My Full Wine Glass discusses the wines of Benanti – Capturing the Soul of Mount Etna Wine.
  • Susannah at Avvinare is Exploring the Colli Berici in the Veneto.
  • Cindy at Grape Experiences shares Personality, Elegance, Value: Tenuta Tascante Ghiaia Nera 2017 from Etna DOC.
  • Nicole at Somm's Table is Exploring Etna with Tenuta di Fessina
  • Jen, our host, at Vino Travels posts Fried Eggplant Topped with Fresh Tomatoes and Ricotta Paired with I Custodi Etna Rosso.
 

Additional reading and sources used for this post

  • Wine Enthusiast: A Beginner’s Guide to the Wines of Sicily 
  • The Tasting Panel: 10 Things to Know About Sicilian Wine 
  • Forbes: How Volcanic Soils Halted A Winemaking Scourge On Sicily’s Mount Etna 
  • NY Times: Etna Fumes and Spews, but the Winemaking Goes On
  • Wines of Sicily
  • Food & Wine: Volcanic Wine 101: What You Need to Know About This Booming Category 
  • What makes the wines of Etna so special? 
  • Saveur: 10 Fantastic Sicilian Wines
  • JJ Buckley:Volcanic Soils and their Effect on Wine 
  • Wine; Tasted!: The Contrada system on Mount Etna 
  • Wine-Searcher.com

 

This post contains affiliate links, including these Amazon links, from which I might earn a commission at no cost to you. 

 


Passopisciaro Bottles.

In my last post we took a virtual trip to Sicily through a conversation with my friend Sarah H. Bray, who has spent a lot of time working in Sicily, among other places. Now we continue the exploration by narrowing in and looking more closely at Mount Etna. As Sarah is a US Brand Ambassador for Passopisciaro, we’ll get to know their winery, wines, and their relationship with the fascinating terroir on top of this volcano. 

Mt. Etna.
Mt. Etna.


Passopisciaro’s wines have always impressed me, so I was excited to talk to Sarah more about them and get know their backstory better. This winery is all about Nerello Mascalese, which is native to Mount Etna. This grape tends to show red fruit flavors with herbal and floral notes,as well as light hints of spice. It tends to be medium bodied with fresh acidity. Nerello Mascalese is also known for being really able to reflect its terroir. Passopisciaro really showcases this aspect of the grape with six different bottlings from different sites on Mount Etna.


Sarah told me that owner Andrea Franchetti seeks to show textural complexity in his wines. “He favors late picking in order to soften the phenolics of these highly tannic varieties,” creating polished wines. The wines are fermented in stainless steel vats, followed by malolactic fermentation and 18 months of aging in large neutral barrels. Since they use no new oak, that polish has to come from the quality of the fruit from the start. Andrea also believes in racking the wines when needed. Getting that oxygen in the wine allows for more expressive fruit and less rustic tannins when the wine are young. Other than this, intervention is kept to a minimum so as to allow the differences in the terroir to really shine through. 

Farming in Passopisciaro’s vineyards follows sustainable practices. They generally take a lutte raisonnée approach (basically only intervening when really necessary) and only use organic materials for treatments. They also borrow certain practices from biodynamic methods, following the moon cycles, but don’t the preparations.

In addition to the six Nerello Mascalese wines, Passopisciaro also makes a Passobianco from Chardonnay, and their top-end Franchetti cuvée which is a blend of  Petit Verdot and Cesanese d’Affile.

Now that we have this primer on the winery out of the way, let’s jump back into the conversation with Sarah.

*****
My understanding is that Andrea Franchetti did quite a lot both to revive the winery and the vineyards when he purchased the property. What was that process like and were there and surprises along the way?

He tells the story about how, after founding Tenuta di Trinoro, he was looking to start a new project in Sicily. Driving around the island, he thought it was too warm overall, but someone pointed up to the black mountain in the skyline, and he set off (I’m assuming at break-neck speed; he’s quite the fast driver!) Ascending, he stuck his arm out the window – this would have been around Easter time – and the air was substantially cooler. He then came upon these collapsed terraces across the volcano with these gnarly old vines planted on them. He ended up acquiring several parcels across the northern side of the volcano at different elevations, from 1,800-3,300 feet above sea level, and released his first vintage of Passopisciaro in 2001.
There really was no winery before him. There was a building with a caved in roof that he had to restore; the previous owner had abandoned the building when the lava flow of 1947 came within meters of it. In the vineyards, about 60 acres purchased in non-contiguous sites, there was much work to restore crumbling, overgrown terraces and bring these 70 to 100 year old-vines he’d purchased back to production. Meanwhile, he was experimenting with winemaking styles for this “vinello,” or little wine as he called the Nerello Mascalese grape; his winemaking experience previously had been with the Bordeaux varieties, so initially he used barriques to age the wines, but evolved to using neutral oak after the first several years when he saw that the wood overpowered the variety. As an outsider to Etna, he was also interested in trialling different varieties and what they could express about the terroir, so he planted additional vineyards of Chardonnay, Petit Verdot, and Cesanese d’Affile on the main estate in the contrada of Guardiola.

Passopisciaro's Winery at Guardiola.
Passopisciaro's Winery at Guardiola.
I love that image of him racing up Mount Etna. It’s like he’s chasing the terroir!
There must be some real challenges to working on an active volcano. Give us some insight into what that’s like?

You think active volcano, and of course, there is the constant, very real threat of eruptions. Etna is a composite volcano, meaning that pressure can build and release at any point on its surface, not just from the summit craters that loom at 11,000 feet above. The aftershocks of eruptions are also a challenge; the eruption that occurred after Christmas last year caused more damage through the earthquakes (mostly on the eastern side) than any lava did.

Smoke in vineyards on Mount Etna.
There is also the very fact of how hard these vineyards are to work. The traditional planting method is a bush-trained “alberello” (little tree) on terraces of varying widths that ascend in altitude very quickly, requiring manual labor at every stage of the growing cycle, but in soils that are like walking on the moon. It’s really laborious to move through the vineyard just walking – think about carrying equipment or crates of grapes!

Winter pruning on terraced vineyards of Mt.Etna.
Winter pruning on terraced vineyards of Mt.Etna.

For more on what it’s like to make wine on Mount Etna, see this detailed section on the Passopisciaro site.

Everything about this seems so precarious! However, the upside seems to be that the volcano creates really distinctive terroirs and these are now being classified. Passopisciaro has been at the front of establishing this cru system on Etna, known. Give us a brief overview of how it’s organized. How do you see that evolving?

The Contrada system on Etna leverages existing territorial names on the volcano. If you grew up there and told another local, meet me in Contrada Rovitello, that person would know instinctively where to go. In fact, Passopisciaro’s address just reads Contrada Guardiola -– mail and delivery guys know where to go, but it’s a bit more difficult for clients to find us the first time they visit!

These names roughly correspond with changes in elevation and lava spills and thus have been appropriated as names for the growing zones, which are quite distinct from one another. Some change as the lava flows occur: San Lorenzo was originally called Bocca Dolce, but the 1981 lava flow ate up several hectares, so the name was changed for the remaining territory; Sciaranuova, which literally means “new lava flow” in Sicilian dialect, is a small cru that corresponds to a flow from the 1600s that was planted in the 1800s (it takes about two hundred years for new lava to become friable enough to plant). 


Contrada map on Mt. Etna.

It’s also important to understand that every lava flow is made of a different mineral and soil composition, and over time, areas have been exposed to different elements. Sometimes, side by side sites are visibly different. In our Porcaria vineyard, which is part of the larger area Feudo di Mezzo, there once ran a river, so the pumice stones are much more worn down; Chiappemacine, instead, is at a lower elevation where a lava spill actually encountered limestone, and there’s a mix of these soils in parts of the vineyard making the soils lighter in color in some of the terraces. Elevation also has a huge impact, as ripening occurs at different times and climatic conditions can be quite different between 1,800 and 3,300 feet.

Passopisciaro vineyards in winter.
Passopisciaro vineyards in winter.
The real question about the evolution of this system lies in whether or not the DOC production zone will be expanded, which is not really on the front burner at the moment. Some Contrade lie within the DOC, some do not. Contrada Guardiola is split in half, with the upper confines of the DOC corresponding to the road that leads to our winery, which sits just above the road, as in just above the DOC line. Some of our vineyards are above, some below. Lots of the higher elevation sites on the northern face of the volcano are being used to make wines (really great ones, in fact), but they cannot be called Etna Rosso’s.
While Marco de Grazia was the first to put these names on his labels and begin to talk about the sites in terms of Grand and Premier Crus, Andrea had the idea to start an event called Le Contrade dell’Etna in 2008, where he invited other producers to his estate to bring samples of the most recent vintage and taste through these young nerellos from the different territories. He also invited some international trade and media, and that event really helped propel the region, and the concept of these cru sites, onto the world stage. The next edition of this event will take place on April 14 & 15.

For more info on Sicily’s terroir see this article Sarah wrote for SevenFifty Daily.


If I ever get to go to Sicily, I’ll have to plan my trip around Le Contrade dell’Etna. Seems like it’d be the perfect way to taste through and understand the terroir.

Now let’s add grapes into the mix. Passopisciaro focuses largely on Nerello Mascalese, with six of its eight wines coming from this grape. What’s is so captivating about it?  How does it transmit the various terroirs?

I could talk about Nerello Mascalese all day, every day. I think it is a grape that produces wines that are compelling, complex, and simply delicious. For someone encountering the grape for the first time, I talk about it like a lovechild of pinot noir and nebbiolo, since it has the tannic structure of the latter and the red fruit character of the former, with its own obvious distinct mineral and herbal characteristics (For the record, genetically, it’s not; according to Ian d’Agata’s Native Wine Grapes of Italy, it’s a natural crossing of Sangiovese and Mantonico Bianco).

In terms of transmission of terroir, Nerello Mascalese is an extremely transparent grape.



Images of Nerello Mascalese grapes and vines.
Images of Nerello Mascalese grapes and vines. Photo courtesy of Sarah H. Bray.


Here’s another detailed description of Nerello Mascalese from Andrea Franchetti on the Passopisciaro site :





The red wine of Etna is of nerello mascalese, an ancient grape, rare except on this volcano, where it is still splendidly cultivated like a mountain grape in old and ancient bush vines. It has little color, large bunches with strong, thick skins, and it ripens late – for the vines planted at 800 meters and above, as late as November. The light red color of the wine is from the variety, not from dilution; the berry is large, and instead of using the bitter skins, the wine is made from the juice, which is best when plants are not too stressed.

During fermentation, the nerello has notes of marzipan and a boorish, carnal quality, which are so pagan that the embarrassed winemakers let it fade; often, there’s a hint of nail polish when the yeasts are disturbed, but in every other sense, the fermentations on Etna happen easily because of the lack of pesticides, up to now, on the mountain. Notes of citrus and camphor come into the wine from the lava flows, and an aromatic acidity gives the impression of a sort of reddened white. When well made, nerello mascalese improves over eight years, then begins to age slowly, gaining hints of a sweet smokiness.


Now that we’ve learned so much about the wines, let’s turn to how to enjoy them. What are some of your favorite pairings for some of Passopisciaro’s wines?

Passobianco, the only white wine we make, is a delicious aperitivo wine, but I recently had it with a pasta dish over a fava cream, which was an absolutely delicious complement.

The Nerello Mascalese wines, from Passorosso to the five Contrada wines, can pair with fish as easily as pork both of which are readily available on a mountain that is located in the Mediterranean; they’re also great Thanksgiving wines, given that they can handle everything from the tartness of cranberry sauce to the richness of gravy. This glosses over the nuances of the five single vineyard wines, which generally are richer from the lower sites (Contrada C and P), structured from Contrada G, and lighter, more acidic, and almost ethereal from the higher elevation sites (S and R); when I have the option of showing them together, I course them according to body.

The Franchetti wine we make, made of Petit Verdot and Cesanese d’Affile, are great with meat dishes like barbecue and steak au poivre; I’ve also had them at the end of meals with simple desserts, given the richness of the black fruit that comes out in the wine with some bottle age.

Once again, you’ve given us some amazing suggestions. Fava cream, steak au poivre, and everything in between – it all sounds delicious. I’ll get my hands on a bottle soon to do some experimenting. Thanks for all the ideas and info Sarah!



Sarah H. Bray in Passopisciaro's vineyard on Mt Etna.
Sarah H. Bray in Passopisciaro's vineyard on Mt Etna. All photos courtesy of Vini Franchetti unless otherwise indicated.


*****

Sarah is one my collaborators on Bâtonnage Forum and will be here in Oakland at Bay Grape on 4/28/19 as part of our Women in Wine Discussion Series leading up to the event. Find more details here. All profits from ticket sales go to creating scholarships for minority women attending the Bâtonnage Forum!

You can also still get tickets to Bâtonnage as well. It's happening on 5/4 – just one month away! – in Napa.

Tickets and info here.



*****

The rest of the Italian Food Wine Travel (#ItalianFWT) is exploring Island Wines from Italy. Check out their posts here:

  • Steven from Steven's Wine and Food Blog features Sicilian Pasta con le Sarde Wine Pairing
  • Linda from My Full Wine Glass offers From Sardegna to Sicilia by Sea – Two Pairings
  • Pinny from Chinese Food and Wine Pairings explores Sicily’s Marsala Wine – A New Product (Wine) Life Cycle that Started in the 18th Century but Continues to Thrive Today!
  • Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla recollects Island Memories, Slow-Roasted Lamb, and Cannonau Di Sardegna.
  • Lynn from Savor The Harvest is in the mood for Italian Island Wine Speak with Vinisola
  • Cindy from Grape Experiences reveals Discovering Liquid Gold from Sardinia and Sicily at Chicago’s Coda di Volpe.
  • Jennifer from Vino Travels tells the story of The Cultural Heritage of Mamuthone and Cannonau of Cantina Giuseppe Sedilesu.
  • Susannah from Avvinare invites readers to Discover Aleatico from the island of Elba.
  • Wendy from A Day In the Life on the Farm makes Oven Roasted Salmon with Tarragon Tartar Sauce paired with a Sicilian Grillo.
  • Lauren from The Swirling Dervish shares Island Wines of Italy: Alghero Torbato from Sardegna.
  • Gwen from Wine Predator features Island Wines of Italy: 3 from Sicily Paired with Pizza.
  • Jeff from FoodWineClick! is Dreaming of Italian Islands While We Wait for Spring.
  • Martin from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog tempts with Sardinian Vermentino di Gallura Paired With Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto.
  • Nicole from Somm's Table crafts A Passion for Sicily with Passopisciaro: An Interview with Sarah H. Bray, Part 1.
  • Jane from Always Ravenous is Tasting and Pairing Sicilian Wine From Mount Etna.
  • Cynthia and Pierre tell How a Wine Economists Conference Led Us to Wine from the Venice Lagoon.
  • Our hosts Jill and Jason at L'Occasion shares ‘300 Days of Sunshine’: The Vineyards of Sicilia DOC Interview with Alberto Tasca.




Older Posts Home
View mobile version

INSTAGRAM

Sign up for my mailing list!

Subscribe

* indicates required


Somm's Table 2017