raffaele Mastrovincenzo

MOUNT ETNA eurupted Last night I toured back to Italy. I bought in the morning a bottle of Etna Bianco by Biondi winery the Outis from 2009. The vines are cultivated in all Etna D.O.C. on sandy soil with volcanic origin, are planted to 600 meter to 1000 meter above sea level often an heroic viticulture. The ampelographic heritage is extremely interesting composed of centuries old vines such as Carricante  and Catarrato the two main grapes varieties used to produced the Etna bianco D.O.C. and Etna Bianco Superiore. The white Minella is rarer. The wine of Biondi have got the 3 varieties in different percentage with predominately Carricante. Gold in color a bit unclear with brilliant vivacity, a great viscosity for a white wine. Nose was citrus, lemon zest, orange blossom, acacia, flint, tufa and sandy some kernel and a touch of honey. Palate great mouthful, lovely intense minerality, tonic, wet stone, fossil marine, sapid and superb drinkability. Thanks to Etna, is the top!!!

Argentina has a winemaking history back some 450 years. Currently is thee fifth largest wine-producing country in the world. Argentina vineyards lies close to the Andes mountain 1500 Km from the province of Salta in the north to Rio Negro and Nequen in Patagonia. Historically because the heat, most vineyards were planted in pergola system, Know locally as Parral. This system lifted the grapes away from the searing heat close to the ground. The real problem disease of the vineyard is called Nematodes, tiny roundworms that live in the soil and feed on plant roots by puncturing the root tissue with hollow. Once the Nematodes sink this structure deep into the grape's root tissue, they suck out the plant's juices. Symptoms of Nematodes damage can sometimes be hard to positively identify because they can look like several other problems, such as too little or too much water, unsuitable temperatures, disease or the lack of proper nutrients. Once those important roots are d