Questo vino
Vineyard and terroir
The vineyards lie on the slopes of Mount Etna, on nutrient- and mineral-rich volcanic soils. The vines average 20 years of age. The vineyard is farmed organically and all work is done by hand, using only copper and sulfur when needed.
Grapes
The wine is a blend of the native Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio.
Vinification
The wine is made in a traditional Palmento Etneo, without refrigeration, following one of Etna's oldest winemaking methods, now almost disappeared and revived here by I Vigneri di Salvo Foti. Grapes are picked entirely by hand, usually in the first half of October, with careful selection during picking. The whole bunches are crushed by foot and macerated with skins and stems for 8 days. Fermentation is spontaneous, with natural yeasts and no temperature control, and lasts 8–10 days.
Ageing
The wine ages for 6 months in terracotta amphorae buried in the ground, with no wooden barrels. Natural settling and bottling follow the cycles of the lunar calendar. It is filtered only at bottling, and sulfur is added in very small amounts.
Vintage notes
The 2023 is pure and vibrant, more so than in previous years.
Label / history
All I Vigneri di Salvo Foti wines are bottled in custom-made glass bottles bearing the company logo. It shows a century-old vine, a symbol dating back to 1435, when Etna's historic winegrowers' association, the "Maestranza dei Vigneri", was founded in Catania.
