Mount Etna and the Nerello Mascalese Grape

Try getting your hands on a Nerello Mascalese wine – a dark-skinned grape variety native to northern Sicily.  The grape shares similar properties with Nerello Cappucio and enjoys pretty potent levels of tannin and acidity.

The Mascali plain, on the slopes of Mount Etna, is reportedly this grape’s place of origin.  ‘Bush Vine’ or ‘goblet’ vine pruning is the norm here, with vines literally ancient.  Indeed, the older vines pre-date the phylloxera epidemic of the 1800s!

Nerello Mascalese is the main constituent for the Mount Etna DOC and is often blended with Nerello Cappucio.

Thanks to the wonderfully variable variable volcanic soils of Etna and elevations of up to 1000 metres, the wines have super character and complexity.

Further down the slopes, the wines can become excessively weighty.  In effect, the higher the altitude, the better the wine.  And some of the these vineyards are amongst the highest altitude in Europe.  Be sure to try ours!

Click here to Explore Hannibal’s wines from Mount Etna>