Wednesday was our Etna day. Towering above the city of Catania, the famous volcano was erupting earlier in the year but today it was quiet.
Our first stop was to the tiny, six hectare estate of Ciro and Stephanie Biondi. Ciro and his two beautiful bullmastiffs greeted us at the gate and took us up to the winery where we saw at first hand some skins being pressed – harvest has only just finished here. We walked through the stunningly rugged hillside and settled into their outside tasting area that affords beautiful views of their different vineyards and when the clouds subsided – of Mount Etna itself.
Ciro and Stephanie (and Stephanie’s sister who was also roped in!) hosted a very friendly, fascinating and informative event that was interspersed with some terrific stories and insights into the world of Etna wines. The wines were truly amazing with two contrasting whites, two reds and a reserva red 2016 that was a real treat and showed how ageworthy Nerello Macalese and Capuccio can be. The wines were accompanied by a trio of cheeses, salamis, local bread and the most sublime olive oil.
This was a magical experience as we drank in our first taste of the mystery of Mount Etna.
From Biondi, it was just ten minutes to Terracostatino – another family owned estate but on a slightly bigger scale. Angelika and Salvo hosted our visit as a double act as we headed first up the slope to see their vineyards at first hand, take in a very historic old winery and then head back down to the winery. One of the fascinating things we discovered was the Contrade map. Mount Etna has been geologically mapped and comprises about 150 different zones that reflect the myriad of soils and microclimates and gives a brilliant insight as to why there is so much diversity from one producer to the next.
We tasted all their wines accompanied by a delicious tomato and cheese crostini and a pumpkin pasta. Their three whites and three reds were all great contrasts and reflected perfectly the insights we had been given about the diversity of terroir.
A lovely day!
