Etna Bianco 2018 from Mari di Ripiddu is my first approach to wine from grapes grown on volcanic soil and also from that particular area near Catania.  I didn’t know what to expect besides some minerality, possibly salty tang, stone aromas. I certainly was not disappointed about that encounter. This particular 2018 Etna Bianco is a truly beautiful wine, perfect for a hot summer day.

The grapes are Carricante and Catarratto, which are indigenous to southern Italy, especially to Sicily. The first is a high yield grape cultivated in slopes of Etna for a thousand years. The latter grape is a descendant of a well-known grape Garganega, which is used to produce many easy-drinking wines.

Appearance: clean, pale
Nose: clean, fresh with clear lime zest aromas, a little wax, and stone
Palate: dry, medium+ acidity – good incorporated, not disturbing, aromas of green apple, hints of iron on the palate.