What I Drank Last Week from the Pip Wine Shop

Tenuta delle Terre Nere, Etna Bianco, 2019

Fellow Pips, let’s go back to Sicily and the slopes of Mt. Etna. Last time we visited we tried the Etna Rosato, a yummy rose from the Nerello Mascalese grape. Today we are sipping the Etna Bianco from the Catania region of Sicily, near Mt. Etna. It is a white field blend of Sicilian indigenous grapes with 65% Carricante. Carricante is grown at high altitudes on Mt. Etna (usually at about 3,100 feet elevation on eastern slopes and 3,500 feet elevation on western slopes). Carricante is a highly acidic wine and lends itself to malolactic fermentation.

The Etna Bianco from Terre Nere had a velvelty mouth feel from the malo, and citrusy fruits on the nose and palette. The winemaker says that the wine has “an effortless uplift of a dancer.” It paired well with our seafood paella, complimenting the saffron, and softening with the seafood.

Available at the Pip Wine shop – check out the web site.

Cheers,

Jaque