The Wonders of Mt. Etna: Climbing Hephaestus' Forge

Special thanks to Alice Bonaccorsi, Antonio Benanti, and Mario Paoluzi for joining us from Mongibello itself.

For the uninitiated, Mount Etna is Europe's largest active volcano and the Continent's tallest peak south of the Alps (topping off at over 10,000 feet). It is a magical place steeped in thousands of years worth of winemaking tradition but just starting to gain traction on the international market. Its most famous product. Kick it, Wine Searcher:
"The most commonly produced form of Etna wine is the standard Etna Rosso, a red made predominantly from the Nerello Mascalese grape variety with up to a 20 percent addition of Nerello Cappuccio. Its bianco (white) counterpart is composed of at least 60 percent Carricante, backed up by Catarratto, and a host of minor additions including Trebbiano and Minnella. There is also a relatively rare rosato (rosé) form also based on Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio."

Bill Jensen, sommelier for Michelin-starred Washington DC restaurant Tail Up Goat, and her sister Reveler's Hour, is a breakout star of the Covid-19 Pandemic with his virtual wine school. In an effort to stay in touch with his regulars and soon-to-be regulars, he launched #StayHome Wine School on March 29th, and continued every Sunday at 4 pm EST for 40 straight weeks. In the very beginning, it was BYOB. Later, Bill would recommend bottles to be purchased at various wine shops. By week 9, TUG and RH reopened and local wine school students could shop there, first for bottles and later also for flights.

To be added to the newsletter and gain access to the class each week, email your request to: wineschool@tailupgoat.com

This week's bit of verse was from The Aeneid by Virgil, translated by C.P Cranch

In Bill's weekly recap email, he said this:
There's more information on Etna below. For those of you curious about the contrada system, start with this piece from SevenFifty about the "ancient names used to designate various zones on Mount Etna for generations." It should be said that a given contrada typically encompasses several vineyards, just like a given village contains several contrada. [ Ссылка ]

- The fabulous Mise en abyme gives you further details on the rules governing Etna wines and the Contrada system: [ Ссылка ]

- Forbes (of all publications) gives you a lovely introduction to winemaking on the Mountain: [ Ссылка ]

- Here's a look at the whole island from a more predictable source, the Wine Enthusiast: [ Ссылка ]

- Lastly, Louis/Dressner has an interview with the incomparable Salvo Foti, pioneering viticulturalist at both Benanti and I Custodi; [ Ссылка ]

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