ETNA SPARKLING WINE METHOD
MOUNTAIN GRAPE HARVESTING
Etna’s volcanic grape harvest: heroic vine-growing between lava and legend
The Estate of Cavanera Etnea is immersed in the Etna Park Nature Reserve, amidst a wealth of mythological charms and magnificent nature. In the Verzella area, on the north-east slope of the volcano, the Cavanera Etnea vineyard is a lucky piece of Eden where Firriato has shaped with dedication the project of heroic vine-growing. Grape harvesting on the volcano is a true example of wine wisdom and patience: it takes place in the second half of October for the grapes intended for Cavanera White and Red, but it already took place for the grapes used in the Gaudensius classic method sparkling wine. These small grapes, rich in scents and perfumes, bear the seal of the Firriato sparkling wine method.
THE NERELLO MASCALESE VARIETY AND SOIL FERTILITY
The subject of a painting set in Sicily
If we were to paint the Etna landscape on a canvas, we should draw the lush slopes of the volcano, where the soft rows of Nerello Mascalese stand out. It is a red grape variety and one of the historic Sicilian native grapes from the Catania area (plain of Mascali). It is grown between 350 and 1000 meters above sea level on lava soils characterized by high drainage capacity and high fertility. Nerello Mascalese follows the natural chemistry of the volcano that has created over the millennia a natural architecture of its own. Here, the heat of solar radiation typical of the Mediterranean area and ventilation at high altitude are the basis of prestigious labels like Cavanera Rovo delle Coturnie, Cavanera Ripa di Scorciavacca and the classic method sparkling wine Guadensius.
HARVESTING NERELLO MASCALESE FOR THE SPARKLING WINE METHOD
An eruption of style for a sparkling wine with mythological traits
An eruption of style and preciousness. From a landscape and a microclimate so arduous and complex as those of the Cavanera estate come no less than five wines that are the ultimate expression of Etna DOC. Guadensius is the highlight of this production naturally aiming at making quality wines. It is a classic method sparkling wine with refined perlage and rare intensity made from the earliest Nerello Mascalese grapes. It is marked by a minerality given by a terroir that is well alive and continuously evolving. It is the result of the Firriato Etna sparkling wine method, with a bouquet as intense as the fire of the volcano, as intense as this Sicily with mythological traits.
