My Sicilian holiday came to an end :((

The majestic Mount Etna greeted me at the airport, sending a long wave of smoke from the summit, a reminder of its recent eruption.

You may think: "What’s it like living at the foot of an active volcano?" It's great! The spectacular eruptions, the unique silhouette on the horizon, the richness of the land which delivers tasty fruit, almonds, pistachio and, of course, grapes for winemaking!

Etna is now one of the "hottest" regions in the world for winemaking. Great wines, organic land, unique indigenous grapes, handpick farming, limited hectars. And a bit more expensive (quite worth it) than wines from other Sicilian regions for the above reasons.

Here is a mini Guide about Etna Wines, read a bit further if you are curious!

Only recently the Etna Consorzio has released the latest mapping, with 133 Contrade (Counties), small sub-zones or individual vineyard sites, each defined by unique soils, geological features, microclimates, and sun exposures. They are comparable to the "cru" classifications found in France.

There are 166 wineries on Etna.

Etna is all about power and elegance, the wines have a mineral edge to attribute to Etna's volcanic soils.
Etna wines and Spumante are internationally renowned for their amazing quality. Despite Sicily being so warm, the elevation of the vineyards, some as high as 1300mt, means the wines are ripe and very refreshing.

Winemakers in the area often say that grapes can taste noticeably different just a few acres apart, a small distance that can make a big impact on the final wine.

Indigenous grapes found nowhere else, like Nerello Mascalese and Carricante, make the iconic Etna Rosso DOC - refreshing and robust tannins, and Etna Bianco DOC – fresh, dry white wine.

I could go on forever about it, but I will stop here!