“I wonder if I can say that ‘One of the best Pinot Gris I’ve had is from Somló,’ without sounding pretentious.”

Eva engages in a moment of thoughtful silence. “There’s very little Pinot Gris grown in Somló.”

Yup, I can’t.

 Watch our Somló Trip Recap.

A Fruitful Detour

Our initial plan was to drive from Szekszárd to Zagreb. But Matt suggests that we make a stop in Somló because “It’s kind of on the way.” No, it’s not—it’s a detour but one that I’m happy to take.

Matt has been enamored of Somlói wines since he had his first sip of Somlói Vándor Olaszrizling 2014 five months ago. Me? No. Where is the fruit? Where is the thrust of youthful fruit or that promising whiff of mild-mannered citrus? I have to rummage through layers of debatable mineral-related terms and still struggle to find a drip of pome. Granted, I’ve certainly had a few commendable Juhfarks, but they were interesting at best. So interesting that a sip turned into a few, and then a whole bottle all to myself. Every sip left me a little more baffled; I just couldn’t find the appropriate words to describe the wine.

But I’m excited about this detour. I imagine the tiny hill of Somló, the smallest wine region of Hungary, to look something like Hermitage in the northern Rhône.

We drive for awhile on dirt tracks that are wide enough for one car. There are no paved roads leading to Somló, the nearly symmetrical, cone-shaped and dormant volcano in northwestern Hungary. The surrounding plain of Kisalföld offers a magnificent frame to the 432-meter hill of Somló as it emerges like a born champion.

We begin tasting with the usual suspects:  Furmint, Hárslevelű, and Juhfark. My impression of Somlói wines begins to falter. No more repetitive tasting notes about something fiery, smoky or minerally. There’s fruit. Actually, gobs of fruit.

Then, the tasting gets more interesting with Syrah and Szürkebarát. Szürkebarát? It’s the name for Pinot Gris in Hungary. Eva offers us two examples: one from a small producer called Joós Pince and another from Tornai Pincészet, one of the biggest producers in the region. These wines taste untypical of the variety but that doesn’t concern me—these Somlói wines intrigue me.

After an hour and 30 wines later, we are ready to go. Matt asks which bottles I’d like to purchase.

“The Szürkebarát for sure.”

Connecting Moments

With a four-year-old Szürkebarát from Tornai Pincészet in mind, I embark on a journey back to my childhood.

To work with the limitations of being in Zagreb, I have to prepare my own rempah (spice paste) from scratch and turn a store-bought dark soy sauce into kecap manis (dark sweet sauce) by adding coconut sugar. The main ingredient for this dish, besides the chicken, is the soy sauce; thankfully, I’m able to find a high-quality one that is naturally brewed with a good amount of fermented and roasted flavors. Even though the sambal kemiri (candlenut chili) and bawang goreng (fried shallot) are missing, I reckon the dish can still hold up without them.

The Tornai Pincészet’s Szürkebarát 2013 is moderately aromatic with ripe fruit flavors complicated by a hint of spiciness, a floral undertone, and a slightly nutty finish. On the palate, it’s creamy and compact, held together by a good level of acidity. For a white wine with 14% alcohol, it’s balanced and enjoyable on its own and with food.

This quirky volcanic wine is an excellent match for this rich (we say such a dish is “jelak”) dish. The acidity and salinity of the wine cut through the sweet, salty, and spicy chicken stew. The food offers a sense of fullness to the wine. Neither the ayam semur nor the Tornai Pincésze Szürkebarát has to fight for attention.

Here’s a recipe for ayam semur, which looks close to my own. Unfortunately, I still haven’t learned to cook in a more measured and scientific manner, hence unable to document the amount of each ingredient I use.

Trying to Praise Well

What if you have the opportunity to meet your favorite author? What would you say to her or him? I love your work? You’re awesome? I wonder how many compliments of that sort they’ve received? Would those words make a difference to them?

I imagine if I ever meet Margaret Atwood, I’d tell her how her work has impacted my life.

So to the team at Tornai Pincészet, thank you for giving me the inspiration to recreate one of my favorite childhood dishes in a place far away from home (and from my mom who—obviously—makes the best ayam semur) and finding a partner for it in the form of a Hungarian wine. Thank you for this wondrous marriage of two cultures on the table.

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post The Unlikely Partners: Somlói Wine and Indonesian Stew appeared first on Wine Travel.

2017 marked the third year of our location-independent lifestyle and the second year of our wine career. It was a momentous year for us—in the span of 12 months, we authored and published our second and third wine book Sipping Santa Barbara and Cracking Croatian Wine, traveled to seven countries, and tasted over 2,000 wines. For professional development reasons, we usually aim to taste at least 3,000 wines every year. However, because of our publishing deadlines, we were relatively sedentary in 2017 as we spent more than half of the year in Croatia and Serbia while finishing the production of our books; the other six months, we were traveling in the wine regions of Austria, Cyprus, Italy (Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Sardinia), Hungary, Slovakia, and Slovenia. In all the countries that we visited, we managed to find outstanding wines in every one of them. We mean… magnificent… unforgettable… outstanding… knockouts.

All in all, it was a rewarding year if we measure it out in wine glasses.

So here we go again: our favorite wines of the year. As advocates for diversity in wine and “Drink Adventurously” (our tagline), we hope our list reveals the ever-expanding choices that are available to wine lovers. While these 17 wines have been chosen based on, first and foremost, their sensory merits, other aspects are also taken into consideration. Did the wine teach us something new? Did it make us re-examine our assumptions? Did it spark curiosity or inspire conversations? Did it have a story or human element that mean something special to us? Ultimately, these are wines that we would highly recommend you, our wine-loving reader, to seek out.

SPARKLING WINE

Charles Heidsieck, Blanc des Millenaires 1995 – Champagne, France

We tasted this at a Charles Heidsieck workshop organized by VinArt Grand Tasting in Zagreb, Croatia. The presenter Drazan Sunjic was also our WSET teacher. Drazan knows the Champagne region and Champagne Charlie inside out. So it was an honor to have him share his knowledge and passion with us. The Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires 1995 was the last wine of the tasting, and it wowed everyone in the room. Made from 100% Chardonnay, this bottle was disgorged in 2015. 19 years of lees aging, woohoo! Following 1983, 1985, and 1990, 1995 is only the fourth vintage of this tête de cuvée Champagne.

Why we love it: We had a hard time choosing between this and Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 2006. We ended up picking Charles Heidsieck over Taittinger because it’s more developed at this point. The Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires 1995 is a wine that must be tasted, not described.

Learn More | Best Of Vinart Grand Tasting 2017: Part 2

WHITE WINE

Bott Frigyes, Super Granum 2015 – Južnoslovenská, Slovakia

Bott Frigyes is an ethnic Hungarian living in South Slovakia. We first heard about his wines from Ernő Sagmeister of Dukay-Sagmeister winery in Serbia. If one of our favorite wine producers suggests we try the wines of another producer, we will follow the recommendation dutifully.

And so we did. During our two-week press tour in Slovakia, we had the chance to spend a night at the guesthouse of Bott Frigyes. Thank you, Tibor Vittek and Peter Drotár for organizing. After an elaborate tasting and dinner, Bott and his family left the guesthouse but not before trying to make us feel the most welcome.

 

Spending the night at one of our favorite wineries in Slovakia. And guess what, it’s “open cellar” night!

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“Help yourself to the wines.” Bott had left all the bottles that we tasted in the dining room. It was a long work day; we were knackered, but nothing was going to stop us from enjoying a nightcap.

 Why we love it: Bott Frigyes Super Granum 2015 is a barrel-fermented cuvée of Furmint, Hárslevelü, and Juhfark. Exciting grapes? Check. The wine has a head-turning bouquet, vivid flavors, and an undeniable mineral characteristic. The quality level, irresistible refreshingness, subtle nuances, tension, and texture of this wine remind us of the best of Chablis.  

Nikolaihof, Vinothek Riesling 2000 – Wachau, Austria

We were fortunate to drink this wine twice in 2017: the first time was at a workshop in Zagreb, Croatia, and the second time was at Austrian winemaker Hartmut Aubell‘s birthday celebration. The 1995 vintage of Nikolaihof Vinothek Riesling was the first Austrian wine to receive 100 points from Robert Parker. Aged for 16 years in 3,500-liter oak cask and bottled in 2016, the 2000 vintage is the winery’s latest release of this wine.

Why we love it: It may be the greatest white wine that Matt has ever tasted. Also, this wine is a capsule of many fond memories—from our trip to Graz, Austria, to this…

A photo of our friend, Vjekoslav Stojišić, when he tasted this wine. Photo from: www.facebook.com/vinartgrandtasting

Learn More | Best Of Vinart Grand Tasting 2017: Part 1

RED WINE

Antinori, Solaia 2010 – Tuscany, Italy

One of the illustrious Aia’s of Tuscany… Ornellaia, Sassicaia, and Solaia. Antonio Galloni of Vinous wrote,” The 2010 is the greatest Solaia ever made.” We tend to agree with Galloni’s reviews, so when we found this 98-point wine—with an irresistible price tag to boot—in Belgrade, Serbia, it was a non-negotiable situation: let’s get it. Antinori Solaia is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, and Cabernet Franc.

Why we love it: We opened this wine on May 22 to celebrate the second anniversary of our location-independent lifestyle. It was our first taste of Solaia, and it delivered more than we had imagined. Unfortunately, we did a disservice to this wine by drinking it at such a young age. Nevertheless, it showed a formidable marriage between finesse and power.

Concha y Toro, Don Melchor 2007 – Maipo Valley, Chile

 

A moment of truth: has it all been a misplaced love or is the Serbian Kremen Kamen by Matalj winery one of the greatest reds? We put the Kremen Kamen wines up to a taste test next to Don Melchor (listed 8 times on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list) and are glad to see that Kremen Kamen is indeed a wine of great substance. Now that our love and faith in Serbian wine are justified, we wish our dear friend from Matalj winery that Kremen Kamen will have the same impact on Serbian wine industry as Don Melchor has on the Chilean wine image.

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In May 2017, we were in the final production stage of two books and inching towards being burned out. Matt decided to purchase a few iconic wines as a form of encouragement and pick-me-up. The stash included Antinori Solaia 2010 (listed above), Antinori Tignanello 2011, Donnafugata Mille e una Notte 2012, Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve 2009, Fontodi Vigna del Sorbo Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2011 (listed below), M. Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Bernardine 2010, and this—our good ol’ Don Melchor, a wine we used to drink a fair bit back in Singapore. Three out of those seven wines ended up being our “wine of the year”, so it was a perceptive splurge by Matt.

Cabernet Sauvignon with a bit of Merlot, this wine has been listed eight times on the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list, and the 2007 vintage scored 94+ points from The Wine Advocate by Robert Parker. We were in Serbia at that time so we thought we’d make a fun tasting out of this bottle. After all, it’s not often that one can find a 10-year-old Don Melchor on the shelf. We met up with Nikola Mladenović Matalj, the owner and winemaker of Matalj winery, and arranged a vertical tasting of his Matalj Kremen Kamen (which was in our Top 16 of 2016 list) along this wine.

Why we love it: We were fortunate to catch Don Melchor 2007 at its prime drinking window: the wine was showing the perfect balance between primary and tertiary notes. This remains to be the best bottle/vintage of Don Melchor we’ve tasted.

Learn More | Matalj Kremen Kamen: A Vertical Tasting

Fontodi, Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo 2011 – Tuscany, Italy

 

2011 Fontodi Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo. A burly Chianti with 15% abv, fruit flavors so intense that they are redolent of berry strips, and 6% acidity that disciplines the many layers into a harmonious unity. This wine is approaching the window of great drinkability but clearly has many more years of evolvement ahead before unveiling its peak. Flavors of sour cherry, black plum, tobacco, licorice, sweet cedar, cinnamon stick, and leather. Chewy tannins lead to a lengthy, strikingly tart yet sweet finish. This is a divisive wine as we’ve just drunk a bottle of 2011 Tignanello. Matt prefers the Tignanello because he thinks it has higher drinkability now. Charine prefers this wine for its powerful attack.

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We had a bottle of Fontodi Chianti Classico on our first date. That wine turned out to be a favorable choice for us in more than one way. So five years later, it was time to step up and give this Gran Selezione version a try.

Why we love it: It was a tough choice between this and its preeminent sibling, the Fontodi Flaccianello Della Pieve. In the end, this burly Chianti took the spot because of its current accessibility. And, to us, it’s simply more distinctive and more memorable than Flaccianello 2009. This wine is so good that it may even make your burp smell good.

Francuska Vinarija, Obećanje 2009 – Negotin, Serbia

 

I guess it’s no surprise that the Serbian winery Francuska Vinarija’s headliner is this Gamay bottling, since the proprietors are from Burgundy. Bouquet of predominantly redcurrant, maraschino cherry, and chalk, with lingering notes of white pepper, lilac, and leather in the background. Structured with juicy acidity and ripe fruit sweetness on the palate. For a 2009 wine, it’s incredible that I feel a tad sad for drinking it too early. In 2 to 3 years, the leather character will probably become more pronounced, and I expect a bit more tobacco leaf and earthy notes that can make this wine more nuanced than it already is. I was going to say it is more Fleurie in style but later decided that a reference to an aged Saint-Armour might be more accurate.

A post shared by Charine Tan (@charinetan) on Sep 25, 2017 at 11:26am PDT

Located in East Serbia, Francuska Vinarija, which translates to “French Winery”, is owned and operated by a Burgundian couple. These wines are not available in Serbia as the entire production is exported, mostly to France. It took us nearly two years to track these wines down: our friend had some bottles in his cellar, and he offered a case for us to taste. We were impressed with all the Francuska Vinarija’s wines that we tried. However, this Gamay bottling called Obećanje was a cut above the rest. The name Obećanje means “the promise”.

Why we love it: It’s the best non-Cru Beaujolais Gamay we’ve tasted.

Learn More | Serbian Grand Cru on the Slopes of Danube

Jakončič, Carolina Select 2006 – Brda, Slovenia

Prior to our 2017 trip to Brda, Slovenia, we knew nothing about Jakončič winery. We only found out about them when we arrived in Slovenia and Matjaž Zagradišnik from the winery reached out to us with a cellar invitation. Throughout the tasting, we were happy with the wines. Then, we got to the Grand Vin—Carolina Select, a blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon—and it was an epic slam dunk. A wine that is built to age for decades, Jakončič Carolina Select is a wine with a waiting list and rightfully so.

Why we love it: Jakončič Carolina Select 2006 is a superlative Merlot. When we tasted this wine, it was immediately clear to us that it would be a highlight of the year. It has an opulent bouquet, full and luscious texture, intense fruit attack on the palate, and a persistent, focused finish. 

Learn More | Marjan Simčič and Jakončič: Classically Styled Slovenian Wine

Kozlović, Santa Lucia Noir 2012 – Istria, Croatia

Another tough selection. We shortlisted Clai Brombonero Refošk 2011, Clai Sv. Jakov Malvazija, 2011, Coronica Gran Teran 2011, Trapan The One 2012, and this wine for the article. All of them are from Istria, Croatia. We ended up choosing Kozlović Santa Lucia Noir 2012 because of its current appeal balanced with future potential. It’s a wine that will undoubtedly appeal to many.

Made only in exceptionally great years, Kozlović Santa Lucia Noir 2012 is a 50-30-20 blend of Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon-Teran from the Santa Lucia Vineyard, an area that is best known for its mineral-driven whites. We were so glad that we managed to taste this wine right before finalizing our manuscript of Cracking Croatian Wine.

Why we love it: It’s a “Super Istrian”, so to speak.  This wine retains Teran’s tingling acidity and ferrous aroma while putting on some luxurious, Bordeaux-esque contours.

Learn More | 10 Istrian Wines to Try

Miani, Merlot Buri 2013 – Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

In January, we spent a week in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The winery that left the deepest impression was Miani, a recommendation that came from Antonio Galloni’s Vinous forum. When we posted on the forum seeking suggestions for “only the best wineries in Friuli”, one member replied, “There can only be one… Miani.”

Why we love it: The finest essence in a bottle. Want to know what soaring intensity feels like? This is your bottle. It’s one of the greatest Merlots we’ve tasted.

Learn More |  Miani: What Wine Dreams are Made of

Vylyan Duennium 2006 – Villány, Hungary

We first tasted Vylyan’s wine at a Villányi Franc workshop in February 2017. It was one of the two Villányi Cabernet Francs that stood out to us. A few months later, we had the chance to visit the winery. And as you might expect, we went with high expectations. By the end of our one-month stay in Hungary, we concluded that Vylyan remains as our top 10 favorite wineries in the country. Vylyan Duennium is a Cabernet Franc-based wine. For 2006 Duennium, some Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon were also added to the cuvée.

Why we love this: It was our favorite wine during our three-day tasting trip in Villány. Exceptionally youthful for its age, this is a wine that shows a sense of place. We would love to share a bottle with our collector friends in the future.

SKIN CONTACT WINE

Dario Prinčič, Bianco Trebež 2012 – Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Charine spotted the Dario Prinčič Bianco Trebež 2012 at an inconspicuous wine bar in Belgrade, Serbia. It was tucked clumsily in a corner of the wine fridge. Every time we see Dario Prinčič’s wine, it would be a done deal. We requested to purchase the wine, but as it turned out, the wine was not for sale;  it belonged to the bar’s owner. When the owner heard about our request and saw our enthusiasm, he decided to open a bottle and shared it with us. Dario Prinčič Bianco Trebežis is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Grigio.

Why we love it: It’s a poised and complete amber wine with an allure that keeps us coming back for more. We were introduced to Dario Prinčič by our friend, John Wurdeman of Pheasant’s Tears Winery (Georgia). Since our first bottle with John, we’ve shared many bottles of Bianco Trebež with various people. In a way, this wine is like a torque to us: centralizing and generalizing friendships through the vinous power.

Movia, Lunar 8 2008 – Brda, Slovenia

This wine was tied with Movia Puro 2010 in terms of sensory merits. We ended up choosing Movia Lunar 8 because of the context in which we drank it. On Matt’s 35th birthday, we shared a magnum of this wine with a group of winemakers, wine writers, and wine enthusiasts in Zagreb, Croatia. We tasted more than 10 wines that night, and this was the “Wine of the Night” with nearly full consensus. Movia Lunar 8 is made from 100% Rebula.

Why we love it: Charine said, “This wine is so good that it makes me feel like I’m drinking above my station.” It’s a wine that can arouse much pride, desire, delight, curiosity, and awareness.

Learn More | Kabaj and Movia: Slovenian Wines with Big Personalities

Radikon, Fuori dal Tempo 2001 -Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Radikon was on our “Do Not Miss” list when we traveled to Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Our visit came less than five months after Stanko Radikon’s passing in the fall of 2016, and the family was missing Stanko dearly. Fuori dal Tempo means “outside of time”. This is a blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Sauvignon Blanc. 

Why we love it: At the time of our visit in January 2017, this was the second vintage confirmed for this bottling. Charine teared up when she tasted this wine. Radikon Fuori dal Tempo 2001 hovers on the palate with exquisite grace. It’s a sublime masterpiece that was personally crafted by Stanko Radikon.

Learn More | Gravner and Radikon: Italian Wines Without Compromise

SWEET WINE

The Anama Concept, Anama Vintage 2012 – Commandaria, Cyprus

In February 2017, we were on a two-week press tour in Cyprus. The Anama Concept wasn’t included in our official itinerary. But thanks to our friend George Gkenos, we found our way to the home of Lefteris Mohianakis and Kristina Apostolou Mohianakis—the husband-and-wife team behind this designer-chic producer.

The Anama Concept’s Anama Vintage cannot be officially called “Commandaria” because it’s made outside of the 14 designated Commandaria villages. But it’s still that time-tested, familiar taste of Cyprus’s most famous sweet wine made from the raisined grapes of Mavro and Xinisteri—both indigenous to Cyprus. This is the only wine that The Anama Concept produces, and the production is around 2,000 bottles per year.

Why we love it: The Anama Concept has taken one of the oldest wine brands in the world, preserved the tenets of Commandaria’s story, revitalized its image, refined its taste, and given it a time-relevant makeover. This wasn’t the only Commandaria-style wine that we loved during our Cyprus trip, but it stood out the most because of its dried fruit and citrus qualities, meaning it was less oxidative-tasting than most Commandaria wines. We also respect the vision of The Anama Concept and cherish the intimate time spent with Lefteris and Kristina at their home.

Learn More | Cyprus Sweet Wines: Commandaria and More

Tokaj & Co., 5 Putñovy 1990 – Tokaj, Slovakia

Tokaj & Co. was a state-run winery during the communist era in Czechoslovakia. The winery is now privately owned. The Tokaj & Co., 5 Putñovy 1990 is part of a limited-edition, archive wine release, which means it is still readily available on the market. The 127g/l of residual sugar is supported by 11g of total acidity.

Why we love it: During our two-week trip through the wine regions of Slovakia, this was arguably the most compelling Slovak wine that we tasted. True to the sweet Tokaji of that era, this wine is oxidative in style and densely packed but without heaviness. The botanical bouquet draws us in and the sugar-acid balance gives it dominance and youth. The front load of dried sweet fruit flavors are contrasted by a tart and spicy finish. This is a living example that great sweet Tokaji can be found in Slovakia.

Video | Exotic Wine Travel in Slovak Tokaj

Vega Sicilia, Oremus, Tokaji Eszencia 2007 – Tokaj, Hungary

Tokaji Eszencia is the rarest and most expensive of all the wines made in Tokaj. Prior to our 2017 wine trip to Hungary, we didn’t care much for Tokaji Eszencia. The idea of an exceptionally viscous wine with at least 450g/l residual sugar and 1-5% ABV was odd-sounding. Would it still taste like wine? Do people really drink it from a spoon?

Our visit at Oremus was set up by our friends from Wine Elite. During the tasting, we had the chance to try some rare, aged Tokaji Aszú wines including a 1956 vintage and a 1972. 1956 is a significant year because of the Hungarian Revolution and 1972 is widely touted as “the best vintage of the last century in Tokaj”. Still, Tokaji Eszencia 2007 was the transcendent one.

Why we love it: When we visited Tokaj, Charine was searching for the ‘Chateau d’Yquem of Hungary’. She found it in this exquisite bottle. Like pure energy in a bottle, drinking this wine makes us feel… healed. Vega Sicilia Oremus Tokaji Eszencia 2007 has 515g/l residual sugar, 15g/l total acidity, and 3% ABV. Those are some enticing numbers tucked in an extraordinary wine.

Video | Exotic Wine Travel in Tokaj, Hungary

This list seems fundamentally incomplete without a rosé wine. So here’s the most exciting rosé we’ve tasted in 2017: Gut Oggau Brutal Rosé 2016

The finest selection of wines

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If you’re looking to savor the exquisite flavor of Croatian wines, look no further than wineandmore.com. With an abundance of options from different winemakers, it’s easy to find exactly what your palate desires. Not sure which bottle is best for you? Try out one of their curated wine cases and discover the perfect vintage for any occasion!

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Are you ready to discover the wonderful world of wines? Come join us at wineandmore.com and let’s explore the incredible selection of delicious wines together! We can’t wait to share our passion for wine with you!

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

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There are sixteen mountains around the world that are classified as “Decade Volcanoes”. A mountain qualifies for that title when it is located close to heavily populated areas and when it has a history of large eruptions. In the South Mediterranean, there is one example of these special forces of nature. It dominates an entire island’s landscape and its destructive eruptions had once stopped invading empires. Today, this Decade Volcano is the epicenter and lifeblood of a fresh and exciting wine region.

The Volcanic Wine of Etna

Wine on an active volcano? Sipping a glass of beautiful red while looking down into a valley with a smoking cone looming behind. That all sounds like a fantasy, but this is a reality in the northeast corner of Sicily. The volcano is Mount Etna and it is home to a fascinating wine region unsurprisingly dubbed “Etna”.

Charine and I were at a champagne-pairing dinner in Singapore in 2014. The concept of a champagne-pairing dinner is straightforward—there are usually anywhere from five to seven courses of food, each course is paired with a champagne. At that dinner, there were five courses, which consequentially made for five different champagnes. One of the five was different, it was not a champagne. While scanning the menu, the words “Etna Rosso” jumped out at me, a dry red wine by Tenuta di Fessina.

Everything about the Etna wine was enchanting, from the light ruby color to the slight bit of tanginess in both corners of my jaw. The color, smell, and taste made the word “fire” come to mind. But I could very well be biased after doing some due diligence on the wine and discovering that it is grown on the slopes of an active volcano in Europe.

On the Etna Wine Trail

A year and a half after that dinner, we were picking up a rental car from the Sicilian port city of Catania and heading to the towns of Etna. Mount Etna is hard to miss, she towers over the eastern end of Sicily, always in sight. We headed up the mountain as the rain started to set in and the visibility went down the pipe. It didn’t help that the only car available at the rental office was a Fiat 500 with an automatic transmission. Driving a tiny car, with a feeble engine, and no control of the gears, made me feel like I was driving an electric golf cart at the end of its battery cycle.

We stopped at the first guesthouse we could find, ate, and then went to sleep. Before turning in, the visibility outside was not more than a few meters. When we rose at dawn, the story was different. Mount Etna dominated the sky and the top of her perfect cone was puffing smoke continuously, the view was finally clear and it was time to set out.

Wine tasting at Gambino Winery.

The road circumvented the mountain range with Etna’s peak leading the way. At our first tasting stop at Gambino Winery, they laid out a platter of local cheeses to accompany the generous tasting pours. The setting could not be better. It was the epitome of what comes to mind when I think of drinking wine in a far-flung destination. We sat on cool metal chairs starring out into the beautiful Alcantara Valley with a towering volcano behind us.

Paul Lukacs the author of Inventing Wine: A New History of One of the World’s Most Ancient Pleasures said, “What interested me about wine is that it’s intellectually very, very rich. You don’t need to know, but you want to know.”

That is the beauty of wine and that is the kind of curiosity that took over as we drove from winery to winery for tastings. Since seriously getting into wine a few years ago, I find great excitement in learning more about this very drink that used to seem so mysterious. There is great pleasure in drinking them, but there is more pleasure in knowing about them.

The wines of Etna are fantastic, the reds and whites all dance on the palate while each has texture from the “minerality” that comes from the volcanic soil. One fellow taster described the mineral taste in the whites as if she “had just licked a rock”. While that may not sound enticing to some people, I can assure you that it makes for a very distinctive wine. The Etna wine is an absolute pleasure to drink without any pretense. Most of them are made in a way that allows them to be drunk young so the drinker may enjoy the purest form of the wine’s fruit flavors with a complexity that comes from Etna’s unique terroir.

I am not alone in my affinity for the Etna wine region, which some have nicknamed it the “Burgundy of the Mediterranean”. The great wine along with the magical setting fueled my inquisitiveness. I had to try as many of the wines from the area as humanly possible. The “want to know” is what makes wine and enotourism so exciting, and the mystery and depth of wine are exactly what Lukacs was referring to as intellectually rich.

There are few places where drinking wine is as majestic as in Etna. The fusion between man and nature is what has made wine special historically. Farmers always have a deep respect for the land where they work but in Etna, it becomes more than respect. It’s reverence and perhaps a bit of fear. This is understandable, how would you feel if you had a ticking time bomb in your own backyard? That allure has drawn many winemakers from Tuscany down to Sicily to try their hands in this up-and-coming wine region.

This includes the winery that drew us here in the first place, Tenuta di Fessina. The owner of Tenuta di Fessina is from central Italy and now trying her hand on the slopes of Etna, with great results. I found the winery’s location on Google maps but we drove around the area multiple times and somehow we kept missing it. After finally locating it, we stopped in day after day but nobody was to be seen and the doors were always locked. The whole experience in the region was great but the fact that we could not get into this specific winery didn’t sit right with me. That simply means a repeat trip will be necessary in the near future.

Nonetheless, we had to move on, even though we didn’t exactly get our way, we got more than we bargained for. Etna has magnificent wine and is largely devoid of fellow oenophiles because it is a rising region in the wine world. It has the views, the food, and of course the vino. As we drove away from our base of Castiglione di Sicilia, it occurred to me that while so people have dreamed of tasting wine under the Tuscan sun, they might be missing out on tasting equally impressive wine under a snow-covered cone.

The village of Castiglione di Sicilia.

Exotic Wine Travel’s Pick

Photo credit: tenutadifessina.com

Tenuta di Fessina il Musmeci Rosso, Etna DOC Riserva, 2008

We still haven’t visited Tenuta di Fessina, but we’ve had several vintages of this Etna wine on many different occasions. The most recent bottle of this vintage we had was taken from our own cellar. Last tasted in March 2018.

It’s in a great spot right now. Full of mineral, sour cherry, and sweet cedar notes. It’s elegant yet it also has the Italian rusticity. Well-developed tannins guided by juicy acidity and a long finish. A quintessential, medium-bodied Etna Rosso.

4.3/5 (You can find out more about our scoring system on the START HERE page.)

Buy Tenuta di Fessina Musmeci Riserva Etna Rosso (Sicily, Italy) on Wine Searcher.

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