Fabulous art and explosive Etna wine at the Saatchi Gallery
This week I had an incredible experience of fabulous art and explosive Etna wine at the Saatchi Gallery. I have been a fan of Etna wine for over a decade, but this was the first time, forty of Mount Etna’s leading producers had come together to pour their wines in the UK.
There were over 200 wines to illustrate Etna’s extraordinary stylistic breadth and three fantastic masterclasses. I attended the masterclass on the different styles of the red Nerello Mascalese grape and have written up my highlights below.
But first, for those who are new to Etna wines, here is a general overview of this intensely distinctive region.
Etna in a nutshell:
· Etna is a DOC wine region on the slopes of Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano, in eastern Sicily.
· The appellation dates from 1968, making it one of Sicily’s oldest and most historic DOCs.
· However, its viticulture goes back over 3000 years!
· Etna DOC today counts roughly 400–450 producers in total and nearly 500 registered winegrowers farming about 1,300–1,500 hectares of vineyards on the volcano’s slopes
· Vines grow on terraced lava slopes from roughly 400 to over 1,000 metres above sea level, among Italy’s highest vineyards.
· Soils are volcanic ash and lava, rich in minerals like iron and potassium, giving a marked stony, mineral character.
What is the wine like?
Etna is Sicily’s cool‑climate volcano wine: high‑altitude vines, native grapes, and a mineral, smoky edge
· Etna Rosso is mainly made from Nerello Mascalese, often with a small percentage of Nerello Cappuccio.
· Etna Bianco is based on Carricante, sometimes blended with Catarratto and other local whites.
· Expect pale colour, red berries, floral notes and smoky, savoury edges in the reds; the whites are citrusy, saline and high in acidity
Think of Etna Rosso as elegant, red‑fruited volcanic Pinot‑meets‑Nebbiolo, and Etna Bianco as a zesty, saline, age‑worthy Mediterranean white
For fans of Burgundy or Barolo, check out my Nerello Mascalese highlights. For lovers of zippy, zesty thrilling whites – my standout Carricante options are a must!
Highlights from the Nerello Mascalese Masterclass at InsidEtna – Plus two white wine highlights!
This was a fascinating masterclass which focused on the different styles of the red Nerello Mascalese grape.
Nerello Mascalese is described as a volcanic Sicilian red grape, mainly from Mount Etna. It makes pale, aromatic wines often likened to Pinot Noir, with bright acidity, fine tannins, and red‑berry, floral and smoky mineral notes.
However, on Etna, Nerello Mascalese acts like a seismograph for terroir. Each contrada (district) sits on a different lava story, with its own altitude, aspect, soil mix and old‑vine material, so the grape writes a completely different flavour ‘script’ on each slope. This was made emphatically clear by the 10 different wines we tried.
There is no such thing as one single Nerello Mascalese. I have therefore highlighted 5 very different styles to appeal to the Etna novice as well as the Etna die-hard fan!
Intro to Etna: Graci, Contrada Arcuria Etna Rosso 2022
This is a fantastic introduction to Mount Etna as it combines ripe red plum fruit, candied orange rind, baking spice and polished tannins. The volcanic soils are expressed in the wild herb nuances and yet there is plenty of joyous fruit for those not used to Etna minerality.
The Complex, Old Vine Option: Pietradolce, Contrada Rampante Etna Rosso 2021
Made from 100yr old vines, this wine is extremely focused on its expression of black and maraschino cherries alongside violet freshness, black pepper spice and firm tannins. This is a super complex and enticing wine which captures Etna’s volcanic essence.
For Cool Climate Precision: Girolamo Russo, San Lorenzo Etna Rosso 2022
This wine is made in a very cold district with an elevation of 700 – 800m from very ancient soil. Expect tangy red fruit such as cranberries and pomegranate, resinous thyme freshness, balsamic spice and a fantastic tension between the acidity and tannins. It has a super long and savoury finish – the result of being such a pure and pristine expression of place.
The Crowd Pleaser: Caciorgna sull Etna, N’Anticchia Bocca d’Orzo Etna Rosso, 2022
Made by a famous consultant, originally from Tuscany, this super deep and delicious wine treads the mid-way path between fruit and its volcanic terroir. Succulent plum fruit is wrapped in licorice and cinnamon spice and the freshness is that akin to blackcurrant leaf. The finish is super long and the tannins are succulent and satisfying!
The Big Name in Italy: Fede Graziani, Produmo di Vulcano Etna Rosso, 2023
At the tasting I was sat next to an Italian sommelier who told me that this producer was super hot in Italy right now even though he has been producing wine relatively recently in Etna (2008). This wine is a balanced, more fruit forward expression of Nerello Mascalese. Red cherries, wild strawberries and ripe raspberry wine gum notes are present alongside soft tannins, refreshing acidity and a saline sweet finish.
Two White Options!
Although I mainly focused on Nerello Mascalese at this tasting, I must shout out two fantastic producers of the white Carricante grape.
Carricante is a high‑acid white grape from Mount Etna that gives mineral, citrus‑driven wines often described as Sicily’s answer to dry Riesling. Imagine lemon, green apple and salty, flinty notes, with real ageing potential and a cool‑volcanic edge in the glass. It is fantastic with seafood, goats cheese, lemon and herb chicken and Sicilian classics like grilled sardines or arancini.
Feudo Cavaliere, Contrada Cavaliere, Etna Bianco 2020
Gorgeous baked pear fruit, white blossom freshness and a juicy, supple body complete with an energetic saline finish. Joyful elegance.
Tenuta di Fessina, A’Puddara Etna DOC, 2023
A site with 1,000m elevation and plenty of sun exposure, combined with judicious use of oak and long lees aging produces a fleshy wine which exudes fresh peach fruit and lemon rind zest.I adore its body and its exuberant fruit.