Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe and is located in an impressive landscape in eastern Sicily. It erupts regularly, often small, and rarely dangerous.
Etna is considered a gentle volcano. (Therefore (?), Etna’s gender is feminine, unlike the evil volcanoes which have a masculine gender.)The most recent eruption was a month or two ago, on June 2nd. It looked impressive but it does not seem to have affected the wine growing in any noticeable way.
We checked with people on site and Benjamin Spencer from the Etna Wine School says that he was sitting and drinking wine with a colleague and watching the eruption. “Most of the ash went to the west where there are very few wineries, but the pistachio groves may have been dusted,” he says.
The eruption was also at a high altitude, at around 2,800 meters. The vineyards only extend up to 1,000 meters. But the fact is that some winemakers see the ash as something positive because it can add nutrients to the soil (although the question of soil nutrition and volcanic soil’s effect on wine is much more complicated than that and not so obvious).
Travel: BKWine organises bespoke wine tours to Sicily and Etna.
