Category: Sicily

Carricante, Carricante, Etna, Italy, Nerello Mascalese, Sicily, Volcanic wines, Wine education, Wine travel

Etna Winemakers Focus On Tradition To Create Terroir-Driven Wines

The wine world harbors much majesty and enticement, particularly regarding terroir and how a sense of place translates in the glass. Around the globe, breathtaking landscapes, dramatic history, unforgiving terrains, and diverse soil types help tell a story through wine. In Italy specifically, the winemaking area around the Etna volcano on the island of Sicily holds considerable fascination. The region’s cool, high-altitude continental climate is … Continue reading Etna Winemakers Focus On Tradition To Create Terroir-Driven Wines

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2022 Resolutions, Etna, Italy, Wine bars, Wine education, Wine travel

My New Year Wine Resolutions for 2022

Let’s admit it, 2021 wasn’t really the best of years.  Earlier in the pandemic many of us, myself included, believed that we’d be back to normal sometime in 2021 and were disappointed and fatigued by end of the year. Personally, I mostly missed the social and professional gatherings – formal and informal – that I enjoyed before 2020: wine dinners with friends, tasting groups, trade … Continue reading My New Year Wine Resolutions for 2022

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Carricante, Etna, Italy, Nerello Mascalese, Sicily

Etna Wines: The Power of the Volcano

It was 5.40am on a Sunday morning. I was sound asleep when I suddenly felt the deep rumblings that turned into a prolonged, loud roar. My first thoughts were: “Is it an earthquake?  A bomb?  A strong thunderstorm?” (Having grown up in Central America, I’m used to all three of them). Then I realized the noise coming from deep within the center of the earth … Continue reading Etna Wines: The Power of the Volcano

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Italy, Nero d'Avola, Puglia, Sardinia, Sicily

Lesser-known Italian grapes: The South – Part II

The final article of the Native Italian grapes series closes in Southern Italy, focusing on a combination of hearty, robust, sun-loving grapes from Puglia and Sicily as well as more delicate, light bodied varieties from across the region. NEGROAMARO (Region: Puglia) One of the most important red grapes of Puglia. Its name means “black bitter,” probably in reference to its dark color and somehow bitter … Continue reading Lesser-known Italian grapes: The South – Part II

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