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Winemaker: Michele Faro

Nerello Mascalese—the little black grape from the town of Mascali, on the coast—has for over a century been cultivated on the jet-black volcanic slopes of Mount Etna. Practically every family on the mountain had a handful of gnarled vines; homemade wine was enjoyed with family alongside local meat and produce.

After World War II, however, these precious vineyards were abandoned in droves. It wasn’t until the early 1990s when Italy’s young winemakers rediscovered Etna’s ancient vines, and reveled in the possibility of reviving a unique grape that had been practically lost.

Winemaker Michele Faro remembers his grandfather making Nerello. The wine’s delicate aromas, the lively gatherings around the family table, how well the wine paired with local foods. Michele’s inspiration for Pietradolce was to connect the past to the present—to bring back the pleasure of Nerello in all its complexity and delicacy—and place it back in the pantheon of great wines, where it belongs.

The estate’s modest seven acres of vines on the northern face of Etna include ancient rootstock—some from 60 to 80 years old—at more than 2,000 feet above sea level. The soils of Etna are striking—as black as midnight, the soils are pure volcanic lava, soft and mineral-rich. Vines are cared for naturally (no pesticides or herbicides) and all work is done by hand.

The “Archineri” Etna Rosso is a 100% Nerello Mascalese wine, harvested by hand from older vines that grow 2,000 feet above sea level in Etna’s pitch-black volcanic soils. It is fermented in tank, and then aged in a mix of new and older large barrels.

Pietradolce Archineri Etna Rosso 2009 Italy / Sicily Nerello Mascalese from Sicily captures the harmony of fine Burgundy with the stately grace of Barolo, yet given its volcanic heart, is definitely its own experience. Flavors are at once lush and precise—we like to call them micro-berries—as every sip gives you the incredible, delectable sensation of biting through the skin and flesh of the ripest summer fruit. $33.50

Pietradolce Archineri Etna Rosso 2008 Italy / Sicily Ancient vines, black volcanic earth, a view from an active volcano over the placid Mediterranean. Sicily’s Nerello Mascalese is undoubtedly unique in its provenance… Call 1-800-266-6585 to inquire.

Pietradolce Archineri Etna Rosso 2007 Italy / Sicily Ancient vines, black volcanic earth, a view from an active volcano over the placid Mediterranean. Sicily’s Nerello Mascalese is undoubtedly unique in its provenance… Call 1-800-266-6585 to inquire.