THE GREAT WHITE OF THE VOLCANO 

In seaside resorts it is notoriously white wine that reigns supreme, thanks to its characteristic acidity and unfailing freshness that goes wonderfully with fish dishes in the summer. The great white wines historically belong to rocky and mineral lands: think of the wines of the Karst, on the border between Italy and Slovenia, known for their very high quality. However, there is an area in southern Italy, more precisely in Sicily, with unique characteristics and capable of creating wines that can keep up with the best whites of northern Italy. We are on the slopes of Etna and the white wines that come from its soils are characterised by a marked acidity, accompanied by citrus notes and the right flavour.  A wonderful representative of Etna viticulture is Salvo Foti, a historic winemaker who today runs a small winery together with his sons, cultivating the vineyard with respect for his land.  The wine of Salvo Foti in which the volcano can be ‘tasted’ is undoubtedly his Vino Bianco Superiore dell’Etna “Aurora”. The grape varieties that are in this label are 90% Carricante and 10% Minnella bianca, located in an extraordinary position: exactly in the centre between the Etna crater and the Ionian Sea, a few kilometres from both natural wonders. Cultivation takes place naturally and strictly by hand, with the traditional method of the Etneo sapling, at 750 meters above sea level.