Tag: etna wine
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These Barrels Have a Nose
November 11 is La Festa di San Martino, or Saint Martin’s Day. It marks the first tasting of the new wine, also known as “novello.” September marked the grape harvest, when the grapes are picked, cleaned, and macerated (Yes, it’s true, wine makers used to stomp on them with their feet…) to make juice that…
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The Grapes of Sicilian Wine
The terraces and stone walls of Randazzo on Mount Etna’s north face make for a special environment to grow grapes from ancient vines. Grape varieties such as Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccino grow about a half a mile above sea level, where the salty sea winds meet fresh, crisp mountain air that converges with volcanic,…
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Wine Connection
Connecting people to their heritage in Sicily brings me great joy, and this weekend I was thrilled to be able to connect two sisters to Sicily, this time through wine. They explained that their last name is Aitala, and asked if I knew how they could purchase the Sicilian wine of the same name. Well,…
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Delicious Contacts on the Ground
Flashback to last week in Catania… I was fortunate to meet up with friend and colleague Benjamin Spencer of The Etna Wine School for, of course, a glass of wine! During the “delicious” (Benjamin’s description) fanaticism of La Festa di Sant’Agata, we caught up on the latest news and dreams for our clients in Sicily.…
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High Tech Vintage
Once wine grapes are harvested and pressed, the juice is brought here to begin the fermentation process. Today, wine making is very high tech. The wood barrels are still important, but they come later. First, however, stainless steel, temperature controlled, light controlled, and closely monitored containers create the liquid that becomes the wine we love.…