The earth remembers everything, for this reason we have to love her as a human being and she will give us her love back.
A long time ago, vine cultivation and wine production were the principal activities on Mount Etna. The ancient farmers selected the best vines, groomed the challenging lava land to cultivate. They had to clear the stones and build little walls and terraces to overcome the issues created from the Volcano and to cultivate there, where the soil was more fertile.
Our friend SUNSHINE LICHAUCO DE LEON, journalist and producer, after having visited us numerous times has send us this lovely story.
Follow Sunshine on www. sunshinedeleon.com
There is nothing like exploring Sicily through the eyes of a Sicilian. They know and love their beautiful island with a passion that is contagious and admirable. Sicilians and southern Italians do everything with extreme passion whether hate or love, and Sicilians love their home.
It was the last Saturday of October and maybe it was time for the last harvest on Mount Etna –maybe in the entire Sicily. All grapes of Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio and Caricante had been gathered from the vines we can see along the streets and Etna wines were already coming to life deep in the cellars – just the craziness of a vineyard located at more than 1100 meters above sea level could push someone to such a late harvest. It had been a wonderful year on Etna, especially for white wines, while in the rest of Italy it had been a very difficult year for harvesting. That day the weather was cool, after the muggy weather of last week. At dawn I went with Sonia to Contrada Nave, where we could find our wonderful grapes, our clusters of Grecanico Dorato and Albanello: sweet and golden with pink hues, untouched.
We are posting a short video with some pictures from our last harvest in Contrada Nave, at an altitude of 1100 meters above sea level. This year, the harvest was on October 25. A day full of joy that crowns a year of work on our wonderful vines.
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