By Christopher Matthews
Of the many favorable spots to grow grapes on Sicily, the most compelling district for me is the Etna DOC, in the shadow of Europe’s tallest — and very active — volcano. Endowed with mineral-rich volcanic soils, intense sunlight and cooling sea breezes and altitudes, the cinematic foothills of Etna produce some stunningly good wines from mostly local varieties, namely Nerello Mascalese (red) and Carricante (white).

Mt. Etna in the distance
Recently, at Ester Wine and Spirits in uptown Kingston, NY (which, BTW, has a nicely edited selection), I was drawn to an attractively labeled Etna Rosso that I had never tried before, from Barone Di Villagrande. When I brought it to the register for purchase, the wine dude on duty said: “Oh my god, this wine is so good.” My expectations rose… Continue reading