‘In 2005, we were a handful of producers on Etna. We took a risk in investing in a region that was completely unknown at the time. Everything was a challenge – from understanding how to work the vineyards on the volcano to finding workers – but we had so much passion that the work didn’t feel burdensome.
‘Pietradolce’s first vintage was 2007 and we made 3,600 bottles of our wine Archineri. It was very hard selling the wines. Nobody knew Etna and at the time the international palates preferred structured wines with a lot of colour and fruit – the opposite of the elegant wines being made from our black volcanic soil and high altitudes. Luckily that has changed since then.
Denne historien er fra April 2024-utgaven av Decanter.
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Denne historien er fra April 2024-utgaven av Decanter.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Pepe Raventós
A single-minded commitment to sustainability and terroir, combined with business acumen and first-class communication skills, have made his one the most interesting (and divisive) names in Spanish wine. In the end, though, all he wants is for the land to speak through his wines
DO TORO - Tasting a land and its history
In Spain's Castilla y León, DO Toro still offers the serious, powerful Tinta de Toro that established its reputation - as well as elegant, refined expressions and even organic white wines
SPANISH ICONS
For decades, there were just a few wines regarded as Spain's most revered. Recently, these have been joined by a growing cast of modern-day powerhouses that have risen rapidly to win the hearts of critics and collectors alike. Read on to discover the 10 Spanish wines you should try before you die
Wine myths debunked
Accepted wisdom isn't always especially wise. Here are four examples from the world of wine
HUGH JOHNSON - 'I've often tried offering a little First Steps in Tasting'
There are a few bottles in my gradually dwindling cellar here that have question marks over them.
THE CAMINO - A food & wine guide
Quite possibly the world's most popular Christian pilgrimage route, the Camino de Santiago conveniently passes through some of northern Spain's best wine- and food-producing regions
Pink gins for Valentine's Day
Turn on the romance with a pre-dinner cocktail concocted from one of these rosy spirits
PUTTING DOWN ROOTS
Why a range of Italian grape varieties are flourishing in Australia's soils, and what the future holds for them
Rhône 2023
In a year that was respectively 'challenging' and 'troublesome' in south and north, it will be vital to follow expert advice when it comes to finding the wines that you'll enjoy. The effects of some extreme swings in the weather were quite localised, however, so there are plenty of good wines to be found. Our Rhône expert Contributing Editor tasted 1,250 wines in all - here's a selection of 45 of his top picks
Plaimont
Preserving the wisdom of the past - to shape the wines of the future
