“Recognizing the value of Contrade dell’Etna is recognizing a useful value for the entire Etna territory.” And again: “I have my own idea regarding the current quota limits in the DOC.”
by DanielaDeMorgex
Unusual landscapes of poignant beauty, where the inhabitants are only witnesses of their land dominated by the volcano which is instead its sovereign. We are on Etna, an enchanted place that has now become a land of excellence for viticulture, a place divided into ancient districts.
But what are the Contrade? Originally they were ancient properties that were born on lava flows (the sciare) of various eras and of different depths: due to the diversity of composition of the soils, the grapes of these lands have different tastes even if they are a
few meters away from each other.
The Contrade are today Crus located on the different slopes of Etna and the “contrada wines” are wines coming from vineyards (approximately 1300 hectares) located in these specific territories, which currently produce almost 6 million bottles. Currently the types that have significantly increased in consumer demand are whites and rosés, slender and elegant, preferably gastronomic.
The Contrade dell’Etna event was born in 2009 by Andrea Franchetti, a man with an extraordinary vision, who without a shadow of a doubt donated a lot to the Etna area and was the promoter of its launch into the world of excellent wine. It was born as a convivial review of en primeur wines according to the historic French tradition of Bordeaux imported here by Franchetti, who acquired his winemaking training in Bordeaux. It was then by his precise will that the event brand passed to the Crew communications agency, owned by Massimo Nicotra and Raffaella Schirò.
Contrade dell’Etna still remains an authentic expression of this excellent wine-growing area. We talk about this and more with Vincenzo Lo Mauro, director of the Passopisciaro Etna company, founded by Andrea Franchetti together with Tenute di Trinoro, in Val d’Orcia, Tuscany.
We have reached the fifteenth edition of Contrade dell’Etna. What has changed today compared to the first editions and what has been added over time? In practice, what is Contrade today?
Vincenzo Lo Mauro: What Andrea organized was a “festoon”, an opportunity for eating and stay with friends and an exchange of glasses between farmers to get to know their neighbour’s wine, a way to understand the diversity of the various soils present on
Etna, sometimes changing very suddenly. It was discovering another interpretation of the same wine. In doing so we also understood how such different wines could be created through the same vinification processes. Some impressed us more than others and in 2008 the first districts were born: Chiappemacine, with mixed limestone-sandstone soil; Porcaria, at 600 m, (which owes its name to the Panebianco stream that crosses it and which carried all types of dirt) with volcanic-silty soil and then Sciaranuova of more recent origin, we are talking about 1600, to finally reach Rampante at 1000 m, district founded in 2011.
Today the question is a little different. Fifteen years ago when everything was born we were talking exclusively about Nerello Mascalese, today other vines and other types have been added: let’s think about whites, rosés and sparkling wines, in addition to the fact that we have acquired a new and greater awareness of what we possess. The quality has increased exponentially in recent years and we also had the surprise of discovering the splendid evolution of certain old vintages. But all this is still recent and we ourselves
consider ourselves spectators of a new Renaissance in the volcano’s territory.
Which was Andrea Franchetti’s favorite district?
Certainly Guardiola that produces a very profound wine.
And yours?
Porcaria because it is capable of producing an immediately enjoyable wine. If instead I had to wait ten years, then I would prefer Rampante.
A Consortium for DOC has existed in the Etna area since 1994. How do you relate to this association with respect to the Contrade dell’Etna event?
They are different realities. The Consortium must have and maintain its institutional event (editor’s note: this is Etna Days, a consortium event which last year, in its second edition, was aimed only at the foreign press) even if the participating companies are the same. Personally, I am sorry that some companies have decided not to participate in Contrade this year and I don’t understand why. We should rather recognize the value of Contrade as a useful value for the entire territory: comparison has always been a harbinger of growth and everything contributes to raising the bar of quality in a territory.
What is Contrade’s strength?
It is the immediacy, the informality, the standing side by side between producers with respect and in harmony.
What is the biggest problem you encounter today on Etna?
It’s the climate, the lack of water underground. You can try to manage this situation with precision agriculture, but there is little that can be done against an excessive temperature. Without fear or shame, however, we have the possibility of carrying out
emergency irrigation in a certain area of Passopisciaro. I would then talk about the market: not about placement at an international level, but about prices. I’m currently seeing decidedly too high numbers, in a situation of declining wine consumption in general.
The case of de-alcoholized and “vini no-lo” exploded at Vinitaly. Wines with a significant alcohol content are produced here, so how do you relate to the market with respect to this factor and what is your main reference market today?
I answer as Andrea would have done: we produce wines that we like first of all. We have our own corporate style that we intend to maintain and our reference market that appreciates us, considering the fact that we don’t have a huge production anyway, around
100,000 bottles. We are doing very strong in our region, followed by the US market.
What do you hope for the future of Etna wine?
The development of the Etna area is still in its infancy, a territory that still has a lot to give so I hope for further growth. First of all in terms of quality, given the small size of its extension, but then also in terms of production. In 2011 several districts were added and I
have my own idea which contrasts with the current one which I believe is now dated and no longer functional: while maintaining the current borders of the districts unchanged, I hope to no longer have quota limits with the possibility of trespassing both both upstream and downstream with respect to the current specifications, without thus excluding any areas of the district itself, even if this would entail an increase in the territory of the denomination.