Juicy melon, sweet dates, and a hint of ripe persimmon emanate from this Carricante grown on the southern side (lato sud) of Etna. Slightly golden and strikingly saline, a white with this much warmth and character could wash down a slow-cooked tagine of tender meat and dried fruits, or a whole roasted, crispy fish topped with herbs and toasted chiles. Save your shyer dishes for a simpler wine; this one is a star and deserves a bold pairing.

In 2005, Catania natives Cesare Fulvio and Federica Turillo left their jobs in the city for a simpler life in Randazzo, on the northern slopes of Mount Etna. Their new home was a small farm surrounded by two hectares of terraced vineyards at Contrada Pino, elevation 800 meters. They renovated the property’s ancient palmento, a traditional farmhouse featuring an old press and large fermentation vats made of lava stone, and began to work the 120-year-old vines organically and biodynamically. The grapes are stomped by foot in these vats, and then an open-air fermentation takes place before the wine is aged in old 500-liter tonneaux and bottled unfiltered. These primitive, yet time-tested techniques yield a profound red wine full of depth, liveliness, and old-school, rustic character. Its intensely gripping, ashy-fine tannin is a trademark of wines from Contrada Pino.

I’m not sure that “yummo!” is an official tasting note, but that’s what I texted to a colleague, with a snap of this wine’s label. The 2018 is a bright and energetic vintage, velvety and fresh, and I quite enjoyed drinking it on its own. The blend of Frappato (a grape known for tasting of wild strawberry) and Calabrese (which has an earthier profile) is a perfect marriage, balanced and complete. I wanted for nothing while I had a glass of this in my hand . . . you might say I found peace in it.