Etna Vulcano & Vini


Etna is a Vulcano in Sicily with bush vines prefiloxera, on sandy black lava soil.
This wine region is truly spectacular quite unique with high altitude, indigenous grapes varieties, very distinctive temperature between night and day time.
The Etna DOC was the very first in Sicily, created in August 1968, the terraces of alberello-trained bush vines have contributed to the rising fortunes of Etna wines.
The grapes varieties are for the red:
Nerello Mascalese
Nerello Cappuccio
The grapes varieties are for the white:
Carricante
Minella
Trebbiano

The best terroir is on the "Versante Nord" in the north part.
The shape of the area of the vine is kind of "C" upsidedown which is the best exposition facing the Volcano is on the most north area, start from the town of Linguaglossa to Randazzo touching the towns Rovitello, Solicchiata, Passopiciario, and Montelaguardia.
Many producers like to vinify different cru separately, called "Contrada".
The dark soil is very important for the wines gives elegance and finesse.


Considering the sea located very close just 30 km away we can state the climate in this region is continental due to the altitude.

In the last trip to Etna we visited a very little artisan
Bruno Ferrara Sardo which began In 1993 to cultivate the small vineyard inherited by his grandfather. Today the company has 1.98 hectares just a few kilometers from the town of Randazzo, in the Allegracore Contrada, on the northern slope of Etna. At an altitude of 700 meters, on a volcanic soil, the Nerello mascalese is the main grape follow by the Nerello cappuccio.
From the beginning, Bruno decided to ban the use of chemicals, reserving only small amounts of copper and sulfur for treatments. The soil is lightly worked, leaving space for spontaneous grassing, to create a botanical balance of the Etnean environment.
For this reason, the low yields and the naturally late harvests are followed by a little interventionist vinification.
In the winery, the winemaking is very simple only ambient yeast with slow fermentation only in concrete tanks, also some old barrel has been used to verify the acting of this container.  NO filtration, NO clarification, without added sulfites. This is how "'Nzemmula", Bruno's only wine express the real terroir volcano soil of this denomination.
We tasted from his first vintage 2012 to 2018

The wines show great complexity with this dark soil with dusty minerality.
Bruno is a very nice gentleman the afternoon we spend with him was unforgettable.


2016 had a great fruit profile this preserved cherries and plum, sanguine like a blood sausage. Acidity was pretty high give to the wine energy and tension.
 With Bruno we discuss the exposition of the different Contrada and the way the lava flow influence the viticulture, how the Etna volcano is the main actor in this denomination and also how can dangerous can be. 

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