A Volcanic Wine Adventure in Castiglione di Sicilia

One of the most amazing experiences you can enjoy in Sicily is wine tasting where you can immerse yourself in true Sicilian hospitality.

The wine industry in Sicily has been going through a period of rapid change over the past twenty years and the popularity and prestige of Sicilian wine is rapidly on the rise.

Wine grapes have always grown on the island and mythology tells us that it was Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, who planted them there himself.

The Mediterranean climate with abundant Sicilian sunshine, a balanced rainfall, mountainous terrain and volcanic soil made rich by Mount Etna's ash and lava all create the perfect conditions for growing quality grapes with a distinctive taste and there are many varieties across the island.

Everyone needs a friend who says "Jump in the car, we are going on an adventure" and for me that friend is Isabella Randazzo the expert wedding planner behind Weddings in Sicily Taormina. Isabella is a big supporter of my Blog and always tells her brides and grooms, wedding guests and customers that she meets at her husband Tony's pub Time Out in Taormina to follow me for Sicily inspiration. It is always a pleasure to help at some of her beautiful weddings in Taormina and go on adventures with her. I met her after a bride who follows my Blog asked me for advice on getting married in Taormina and after meeting Isabella we hit it off immediately and the rest as they say is history.

In spring this year Isabella went on a wedding venue site visit to Ristorante Paradise in Graniti which is located in the stunning Alcantara Valley. The Alcantara Valley is known for its citrus fruit, forest fruits, olive trees and is home to beautiful medieval towns such as Francavilla di Sicilia, Castiglione di Sicilia and Randazzo. After her visit she messaged me to say that we had been invited to wine tasting by the owner Antonio who makes his own wines from his vineyards on the terrain of Castiglione di Sicilia. It was an offer we could not refuse.

The charming town of Castiglione di Sicilia is located perched on a hill on the northern slope of Mount Etna and lies in the centre of the Alcantara Valley between Taormina and Randazzo. The buildings and houses seem to cling to the hilltop and slopes. The surrounding terrain of the town below is covered in vineyards giving the town the name "The City of Wine" and it is an obligatory stop on the "Etna Wine Route". It was chosen as the headquarters of the Enoteca Regionale per la Sicilia (Regional Wine Cellar for Eastern Sicily). This is the land of the DOC Etna wine that harvests the Nerello, Cataratto and Carricante grape variety which is only grown here. Castiglione di Sicilia is a beautiful place steeped in much history and has recently been put into the public eye as a town participating in the One Euro House renovation scheme.

On a balmy evening Isabella came to collect myself, my husband and our dog Daisy, followed by her husband Tony and her son Mattia in another car behind and we all set off for our wine tasting adventure.

Driving through the Alcantara Valley past Ristorante Paradise in Graniti, past the Alcantara Gorge and after driving through the town of Francavilla di Sicilia we entered the countryside of Castiglione with the town up on the hillside. Our destination for our wine tasting would be Tenuta Antica Cavalleria a property dating back to 1870, with an original palmento (wine press) which is owned by a Sicilian/Dutch family. It is set in an abundance of grape vines from which the family along with Antonio's neighbouring vineyards create wonderful red, white and rosé wines. These guys own a lot of lush grapevines. Together their results give rise to the company "Produttori Etna Nord".

On arrival Antonio introduced us to Daniela who would be our sommelier for the evening but first before our tasting experience he wanted to show us the grapevines at the property and whilst walking around Daisy made friends with the resident cat. After our tour we all jumped back in our cars with Antonio to view his own vines. On the way back he took us on a diversion to show us a very iconic building amidst his vines.

Off the beaten track on an unpaved road we drove to the Cuba di San Domenica (the Byzantine Cube of Santa Domenica). This is one of the most mysterious religious buildings in Sicily. In fact for decades it has attracted the attention of Italian and foreign scholars, who have tried to understand, still without having found a definitive explanation, the reasons for the presence of an isolated religious building in the centre of the Alcantara Valley. They failed to indicate the time when it was actually built but it is thought to have been built in the Byzantine era, hence its name and that it was rebuilt in Arabic/Norman times. Antonio told us that the interior would have had frescoes that have faded away with time. It is said that in this part of the Alcantara River that flows close by the cuba the Arabs tried to breed crocodiles. This exceptional small chapel is built of lava stone and is considered to be Byzantine due to its layout which is a Greek cross with three apses topped with a typical Arabic style dome. The cuba is an isolated masterpiece of Sicilian history and was particularly striking that evening with Mount Etna erupting in the distance.

After our little piece of Byzantine history we all jumped back in our cars ready for our wine tasting. As the sun set we sat under the veranda of Tenuta Antica Cavalleria where we were made to feel at home and part of the family. Daniela was the perfect sommelier and explained about the wine making method and how the fermentation process takes place before the finished bottle is ready for tasting and for sale. Then came the very special experience of sampling the wines which were accompanied by fresh local produce including cheeses, salami, ham and olives together with locally made bread and their own "Bizantino" olive oil.

We tasted two white wines (Etna Bianco DOC) labelled Cuore di Marchesa Bianco and Bizantino, an Etna Rosè (rosato DOC) and four red wines (Etna Rosso DOC) labelled Cuore di Marchesa Rosso, DAME, Unostru and Q'Assaggia. Each wine enveloped our palates as we basked in our surrounding views of the Alcantara Valley. Each wine has its own unique name and artwork for its label, each with a special meaning to the producers and their family. Whilst tasting each wine the history of Produttori Etna Nord unfolded in our mouths telling us a tale that was born from dreams, passion and friendship aimed at protecting the authenticity of the territory whilst guaranteeing the highest respect of traditions and innovations, where Sicilian and Dutch influences intermingle to produce the grapes on the fertile volcanic land. The grapes capture the essence of their environment. All wines are "contrada" meaning that they are bottled and labelled separately and made from handpicked grapes. The "contrada" system on Mount Etna means that the wine is produced, bottled and labelled either on-site or near their vineyards of origin. Produttori Etna Nord are all numbered bottles making each one unique.

We had planned to go for pizza after our wine tasting but due to the hospitality and the good company the time passed by so quickly and after being joined by more of Antonio's friends by 10:30pm we were all hungry. Antonio said that he knew a place that would stay open for us, so he gave them a call and we all jumped in our cars and in a convoy through the country lanes on the slopes of Mount Etna headed for a destination unknown.

We had no idea of where we were heading driving down the dark lanes, but the peak of Etna was very close on our left-hand side and Etna was lighting up the Sicilian night sky with fountains of bright red and orange lava that was slowly trickling down the slopes. With Etna on our left I knew that we must have been heading inland away from the coastline which meant we were getting further away from home in Giardini Naxos. Isabella was navigating the country lanes superbly and then I saw a road sign in the middle of nowhere for Randazzo. “We must be heading for Randazzo” I exclaimed.

The medieval town of Randazzo is the closest town to Mount Etna’s summit and is an obligatory stop on the Circumetnea train journey. On selected dates between May and October it is possible to board the Treno dei Vini dell’Etnea (Etna Wine Train) which leaves Riposto on the coastline and arrives in Randazzo from where a “wine bus” service continues to a couple of wineries on Etna’s northern slopes. The town is of course renowned for its fine Etna wines and local gastronomy. Randazzo is a beautiful town to visit and its most notable monument is its cathedral which is thought to have been founded in around 1000AD although the current church dates from the first half of the 13th century. It was built with blocks of black lava stone and is an interesting example of gothic style architecture. It sadly suffered damage during the Allied bombings of World War II. On Sundays the town comes alive with a market with local producers as far away as Catania selling their precious volcanic produce. It is also known for its handicrafts and on Sundays you will find that most restaurants will be fully booked for lunch, so it is a good idea to book ahead.

As we finally arrived in Randazzo way after 11pm the owners of Il Buongustaio dell’Etna were waiting for us. Buongustaio translates to “good taste” and this family run place really lived up to its name. This amazing gem sells products and wine typical of Mount Etna and so another wine tasting session commenced paired with local cheeses, meats and olives. The walls were covered in shelves from the floor to the ceiling heaving with every Etna wine imaginable and is a wine lovers dream. Wine tasting went on into the early hours and reluctantly we eventually had to go home and so off we set after a wonderful evening in good company with Etna still erupting all the way home, as if to be celebrating the amazing wines and food that we had tasted which she had help produce with her fertile earth. As is always the Sicilian way we knew that we had made some wonderful new friends that evening and we look forward to our next adventure together.

a BIG thank you to Antonio at Paradise Ristorante Alcantara

and Daniela at Produttori Etna Nord for their hospitality

Tenuta Antica Cavalleria is available for holiday rental and private events

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Links:

Produttori Etna Nord www.produttorietnanord.it

Paradise Ristorante Alcantara www.paradisealcantara.com

Tenuta Antica Cavalleria www.vacanze-sicilia.com

Il Buongustaio dell' Etna, Randazzo www.buongustaiodelletna.com

Wedding in Sicily Taormina www.weddinginsicilytaormina.com

Time Out Pub Taormina www.timeoutpub.com

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