High on the north face of Mount Etna, on the island of Sicily, near the village of Solicchiata, there is a Palmento.
A Palmento is a traditional Etnean wine building. There are many such buildings scattered across the Sicilian countryside but very few are still being used to make wine. Some have become restaurants and tasting rooms, others are now shops or storage rooms, one is even a luxury spa. However, this is not such a Palmento. Here, wine is most definitely being made. Made by hand with love & respect; with a desire to remain true. True to tradition and to this place - this Palmento, these ancient vines, and these buried Quaveri - the home of Vino Di Anna.
Vino di Anna is a small family operation. Anna Martens and Eric Narioo started making wine together on Mount Etna in 2008. In 2010 they purchased their first vineyard of old, vine Nerello Mascelese and a 250 yr old palmento wine building which they restored and “Vino di Anna” was created. Today they own 6 hectares of land which they farm biodynamically. They have extended the winery and buried 9 Georgian qvevri for vinification and maturation.
Mount Etna is an incredible place - especially to grow vines and make wine. The soils are black, fertile and rich in minerals. The vineyards are mostly located along terraces at high altitudes and the volcano is in constant eruption, often sprinkling the vines with fresh cinders. The climate can be extreme, making it both an exciting and challenging place to make natural wine.
Nerello Mascalese is the principal red grape, coupled with small percentages of Nerello Cappuccio and Alicante. The white is a field blend, mainly Grecanico and Carricante. Vino di Anna makes a range of natural wines with minimal intervention, natural yeasts, no additives, no fining or filtering.
Credits:
all photography by hesh hipp © heshphoto, inc • written by Anna Martens with editing by hesh hipp • wine and fine living by Vino di Anna