Mount Etna is Europe’s largest active volcano. At an elevation of 3328m, it is also one of Italy’s tallest mountains. It is at the center of the Etna DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata), a wine appellation that arcs around the north, east and south slopes of the mountain. The wine producing region reaches 1200m and includes some of the highest vineyards in Italy. Warm days and cool nights, combined with volcanic low-vigour soil, ensure wines of great intensity.
Professore Antonio Bevilacqua, an engineer by profession, in 2007, decided to start buying land in Etna with a view to producing the best wines possible. Today, his daughter Alessia manages the Terrazze Dell’Etna estate situated at an altitude of 900 metres.
The Winecroft featured white wine for October is the 2018 Terrazze Dell’Etna `Ciuri Etna` Bianco. This wine is made from a blend of 15% Carricante, a native Etna variety known for its finesse and crisp character, and 85% Nerello Mascalese vinified ‘in bianco’ (as a white wine). The wine is fresh and fragrant with notes of tropical fruit and a hint of rosemary. On the palate, it is fresh, well balanced with an acidic backbone and has an attractive mineral finish.
This wine is on the winelist of the River Café, the Michelin-starred Italian restaurant in west London.
