In the past few years, we have added three unique properties from Mount Etna to our growing family of Italian domaines. Calling Vigneti Vecchio, Grottafumata, and Masseria del Pino 'artisans' is a serious understatement: each farms just a few hectares of vines, producing tiny amounts of hand-crafted wine from vineyard plots akin to small gardens. Their rows of Nerello Mascalese, Carricante, and many other varieties endemic to Etna—by and large ancient vines exceeding a century in age, often co-planted according to ancient practices—benefit from the conditions that make Etna one of the world’s most exciting wine regions: high-altitude vineyards on decomposed lava rock, with a long growing season in an ideal Mediterranean climate. Bluntly said, these are microcuvées created high on an active volcano in the middle of the sea.
     Each of these three producers is at the vanguard of sustainable viticulture, farming organically or naturally as much out of respect for the land as in a quest for grapes of the highest quality come harvest. Their cellar practices take into account the thousands of years of winemaking history on Etna: fermentations are spontaneous, there are no additives save for tiny doses of sulfur, and they bottle without fining or filtration. White wines are fermented on their skins for several days, bringing out the full range of aromas and textures in Carricante, Catarratto, and the like. Our Etna growers certainly fall into the camp of “natural wines,” but due to their purity of expression and striking flavors of the land we prefer to classify them as “terroir-driven.”
     For all their similarities, each producer’s wines are highly distinctive due to nuances in site and, of course, house style. You’ll find three very different versions of Etna from Vigneti Vecchio, based in Solicchiata on the volcano’s northern face, Masseria del Pino, from neighboring Randazzo, and finally Grottafumata, on the southern slope in Trecastagni.
     This collection is designed for you to discover the full scope of our Etna selection through the compelling wines of these three tiny domaines. You’ll find bright, elegant reds scented of sour cherry and smoke, golden whites recalling wildflowers, Mediterranean herbs, and salty sea breezes, and even a singular rosato bursting with fresh fruit and tingly minerals. For the fun of it, we’ve also included the heavenly olive oil from Grottafumata—a small-batch production from indigenous olive varieties. Buona degustazione!