© Wikimedia/BenAveling

Etna's volcanic ash is a crucial part of the terroir

Etna is a dangerous and mysterious place and, Alfonso Cevola says, an exciting one for wine lovers.

So what is the big deal about Etna?

Sicily isn’t on the beaten path, and Mount Etna, with its eerie glow and aura of danger, is forbidding. But lately the wines, from what locals call La Mutagna, have been showing up on lists from New York to Boulder to San Francisco, where Etna is the new Grüner, er the new Txakoli, umm, the next Assyrtico. No, really. But saunter into your local wine store with a craving for Nerello Mascalese and you’ll go home disappointed.

Isn’t Etna somewhere near the Amalfi Coast?

That’s the other volcano, the sleeping one, Vesuvius. Etna is in the northeastern corner of Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean. It is very active. Park your car outside for a night unprotected and you’ll see a fine dusting of black particles in the morning. That is what the mountain folks call the "active fertilization" program. Airborne terroir, perpetually replenishing the soil, makes the wines special.

Who says it’s a big deal?

Where to start? Herodotus? Empedocles? Galloni? Right now, Etna has the buzz. The eno-blogosphere has been almost as active as the mountain’s Strombolian eruptions. The area around Randazzo holds the promise of future grand crus. You need only talk to local growers and wineries (often on the other side of Sicily) to know something is rumbling on that northeastern slope. Or reference writers like Robert Camuto, with his book "Palmento", or Bill Nesto and Frances Di Savino, who wrote "The World of Sicilian Wine", which just won the André Simon Food and Drink book award. But walking Mount Etna isn’t mandatory. Eric Asimov, who has yet to set foot on Sicily, has done as much as anyone to drum up interest for these wines. Wines from Etna were once a bigger industry until two world wars trampled Sicily and stunted the momentum. Slowly people returned. First from the lower towns, then from the other parts of Sicily, then Italy, then the world.

And what flavors spew forth from the mountaintop?

Energetic and vibrant ones. High-acid wines like Riesling in trocken style. Fruity rosé wines, a little more tanned than their Provençal cousins, and with a little more spice, bite and kick. Nerello Mascalese has Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo lovers drooling over its racy, luscious bearing. There’s even an admirable bubbly from Nerello, as if the red wasn’t already a big deal.

© Alfonso Cevola

In the shadow of Mount Etna, these vines like to be talked to

So let’s talk about DNA. Where do these grapes come from?

You’ll find grapes that you’ve never heard of. Grapes like Minella and Carricante. Then you’ll find the Nerello grapes, Mascalese and Cappuccio. And some hundred or so more native grapes with about five different names each, depending on which village you are in. And yes, some souls have ventured forth with Chardonnay, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Etna is a grape scientist’s Shangri-la. Here you find vineyards planted 100 to 200 years ago on ungrafted pre-phylloxera vines. Alongside the vines other plants grow: lettuces and bitter greens, figs and strawberries. They live together; it’s intense, personal farming. Like one old farmer said: "They like to be talked to."

So, enough of the poetry, mr. cummings. Sum it up ...

The key here is Nerello Mascalese. That’s why a lot of wine lovers climb the mountain. The wine tastes as if it came from a time before recorded history. And it dovetails perfectly with the evolving tastes of modern day wine drinkers: high-pitch acidity in a perfect key, luscious fruit that is focused and fat. A balance that touches all the points and then flies down the hill in a wave of pleasure. A little naughty, very sensual.

OK, I’m in. Point me ...

Start with a Nerello Mascalese red. Nothing too deep. The Terre Nere Etna Rosso or the Tascante Ghiaia Nera are good choices and easily found. If you love Riesling, try the whites. No, they’re not Riesling. But if you love high acid, stonefruit and a balanced style, whites made from Carricante are alluring. Start there: one red, one white.

© Alfonso Cevola

Etna producers Frank Cornelissen (L) and Salvo Foti

Who are the names I need to know?

In Sicily, many things are on a "need to know" basis. There are plenty of characters on the island. "Americano" Marc de Grazia gambled everything to invest in the land, make compelling wine and send them blind to an unknowing America. Love him or hate him, he opened the doors for other smaller producers. De Grazia makes a good entry-level wine from Tenuta delle Terre Nere. And their top reds are some of the best. Frank Cornelissen, watch him. His father had a great cellar and he schooled young Frank in great wine. Don’t think of him only as a stargazing wine samurai. His style is continuously evolving. The big guys are coming in: Planeta, Tasca, Cusumano, among others. Look to them for good value, for availability and the sense to know where evolving international tastes are going.

Lastly, get to know the wines of Salvo Foti and the I Vigneri group, proto-local terroiristes of Etna who think folks from 90 minutes away are from another planet. Foti consults with Sicilian producers, but Etna is where he’s most influential. Along with his I Vigneri label, Foti has also helped to establish international reputations for the wines of Benanti, Il Cantante (British rocker Mick Hucknall’s venture) and Gulfi.

You’re making me hungry. What’s for dinner?

Where do you live? What produce are you eating now? What protein is in your cooler? For something more definite, the wines match marvelously with the current food culture. Try the Carricante with wok-fried shisito peppers. Sip the rosé wines with fresh vegetables grilled with olive oil. And the deeper reds go with everything from pizza Margherita to a three-inch-thick cowboy rib-eye.

Why can’t I find Etna wines easily, especially from the best producers?

Because the Italians keep the best wines for themselves and send the rest overseas. Really, in today’s world, whether you’re in a big city or Marfa, Texas, get online and order the stuff that’s not in your wine store. With a resurgence of energy on the island, now is the time to find what you like. The prices are still affordable for most of us. But with recent bad harvests in Burgundy and Piedmont, it won’t take long for the cognoscenti to suss out the good stuff.

A half dozen selection for Etna neophytes:

Prices worldwide on Wine-Searcher (US$, ex-tax, per 750-ml bottle):