Azienda Agricola Papa Maria, a tiny producer located in Castiglione di Sicila on the northern slope of Mt Etna, produced its first vintage in 2016; 900 bottles (600 .75 liters and 300 magnum). We have enjoyed the first vintage; strong hints of spice on the nose and red fruits, smooth on the palate, a delicious wine How did we ever discover this tiny up and coming winery that has minimum social media presence? As we have discovered over the years, to find obscure tiny new wineries, you have to connect the dots.
It started with our connection with Azienda Agricola Casebianche, Torchiara, Salerno. We fell in love with organic/natural wines produced by Betty Iorio and Pasquale Mitrano, in particular their frizzante secco, Il Fric – an unfiltered biological wine produced by spontaneous fermentation (indigenous yeasts from their grapes and atmosphere in cantina) with no sulfites added. We tracked down the importer, Gemma Iannoni of Iannoni Selections, and who has become a friend, to find out where we could buy Casebianche wines in the Boston area.
After a review of Gemma’s webpage, we noted an Etna Rosso and Etna Bianco from Quantico Vini. After further research we decided we should visit Quantico Vini as part of our Sicily visit last year. Giovanni Raiti, the owner of Quantico, was a most welcoming host as and his wife treated us to a fantastic lunch with Quantico wines at their house in Linguaglossa, Catania. Before lunch, Giovanni took Roseann and me along with two others who were studying grapes of Sicilia to visit his cantina.
Giovanni met us at our hotel in Liguaglossa, less than a mile from his house. What we had thought would be a short drive ended up in a 25 minute ride through the back roads of the northern side of Mt. Etna to the cantina in Castiglione di Sicila where Giovanni’s wines are vinified. Pietro Di Giovanni, owner of Azienda Agricola Papa Maria, greeted us at the cantina.
Our initial confusion was clarified when Giovanni explained that his vineyard 0f red grapes are located in the next town of Solicchiata. Giovanni’s vineyard of white grapes are located next to his house in Linguaglossa.
Pietro is Giovanni’s close friend, “collaboratore” and winemaker. Quantico wines are vinified and aged at Pietro’s cantina. While at the cantina, after tasting Quintico wines, we were introduced to Pietro’s new project, the production of his 2016 Etna Rosso, Cuore di Marchesa, from his vineyard located at Contrada Marchesa, Castiglione di Sicilia. We took a photo of the bottle so we could try to find the wine in the Boston area. Much to our delight, Gemma told us that she imports Cuore di Marchese.
Both Giovanni and Pietro abide by organic principles in the vineyard and in the cellar. They use indigenous yeasts, resulting in spontaneous fermentation, and add a minimum amount of sulfites in an amount far less than the European standards of 100 ppm per liter for organic wines and 60 ppm for biodynamic wines.
Here is technical information on Cuore di Marchesa: the vineyard is 60 years old located at 730 meters; vinification: 20 days maceration in selected open Tonneaux barrels made from oak from the French forest of Allier, refined in wood and amphorae for a minimum of 18 months and aged in bottle for three months.
Pietro has expanded his 2017 production to include an Etna Bianco. In an effort to promote his wines, Pietro is part of a newly established four member consortium, Produttori Etna Nord. The members are small producers located on the northern side of Etna, all committed to continuing the production of excellent wine and extra virgin olive.
Next month the 2017 vintage of Pietro’s Etna Rosso and Etna Bianco should be available. I will on the look out for both Pietro’s and Giovanni’e new vintages.
