Donnafugata Winery is one of Italy’s finest wineries and praised by wine critics and wine lovers alike all over the globe. Located in Sicily, Donnafugata has various estates including the historic cellar in Marsala, the beautiful Contessa Entellina country house and vineyards in the western interior of the island, and another winery and estate in the windswept island of Pantelleria off Sicily’s southwest coast. The Rallo family who owns Donnafugata have been in the wine business for over a century and the current generation is extremely dynamic and visionary. The Donnafugata brand was born in the early 1980s by Giacomo and Gabriella Rallo in the family’s historic cellars and today their children José and Antonio play prominent roles in the company.

Pale ruby red, Sul Vulcano offers an elegant bouquet with notes of wild berries (strawberry and red currant) and flowery scents, along with delicate spicy nuances of cinnamon and nutmeg. Perfect harmony between aroma and taste, with good freshness and harmonious tannins. A long, balanced finish. Perfect with Mediterranean antipasti and first courses based on eggplant or mushrooms, meat and roast stew. Also great with Asian dishes (beef stir-fried, dumplings) to fusion cuisine like Tex-Mex based on meat and beans.

A goddess-volcano stands out on the label. Its intense colors, red, yellows, iridescent blacks, are those of the highest active volcano in Europe. An ancient, powerful and feminine deity: “the Mountain” as Etna is called by the locals. “Sul Vulcano” is a declaration of love: a pure wine, fragrant and elegant, that lets you breathe the energy of this unique place located in the center of the Mediterranean.

Located in Eastern Sicily, north side of Etna, between Randazzo and Passopisciaro. The vineyard is lat an altitude from 730 to 750m; the composition of the sandy texture lava soil offers a sub acid-neutral reaction, with good organic endowment. Deep, rich in minerals, the lava soil allows strong root growth. The vineyards are trained with Alberello or VSP (Vertical Shoot Positioning) trellising with spurred cordon pruning. Density of about 4,500 plants per hectare with yields of 45 - 65 quintals/hectare.

The grapes are manual harvested into small crates with careful selection in the vineyard. The Nerello Mascalese was harvested between October 14 and 28. Once the clusters reach the winery, they undergo further selection on a vibrating table, followed by grape selection thanks to a latest generation destemmer, able to discard the green and overripe grapes. Fermentation in stainless steel with maceration on the skins for 8-10 days at a temperature of 25 °C. Aging partly in tanks and partly in French oak (second and third passage barriques) for 14 months and then at least 7 months in bottle before release.