Pietradolce, Etna Rosso

Made from the fresh and juicy Nerello Mascalese grape, this wine is a gorgeous, medium-light bodied wine that shows the more contemplative, mouth-watering and complex side of Sicily's wine culture. It is loaded with summer fruits and red cherries, with dried herbs and integrated subtle spice on the finish. A real winner.

Grown on three separate vineyard sites at altitudes between 600 and 900 metres above sea level, these grapes live in volcanic soils, facing north on the side of Mount Etna. And that's not their only feat - they've been doing so since the end of the 19th century! These pre-phylloxera vines are very rare and produce low volume of really high-quality grapes. And that's the reason that Michele Faro bought the first of these vineyards in 2005.

Since then the winery has grown by adding the other two vineyards, to 11 hectares in total, all planted on Etna. Not all vines live forever, so as the older vines really do cease productivity, they are replaced by Faro using the most traditional of techniques, organic methods, bushvines and a holistic respect to their context. This respect continues to the winery, which was built after the first vineyard was bought, and uses a plethora of concepts that root it to its position: local volcanic lava stone construction; subterranean cellars; natural insulation, minimising electricity use for cooling and many more elements, reflecting their respect for their environment.