Note: Locations referenced in the following text can be found in the map above The Phoenicians may have been fine merchants and salesmen, but it took the arrival of the Greeks to imprint the concept of true viticulture in Sicily. In 734 BCE, a small fertile valley was settled at the northeast opening of the …
The 16th and 17th centuries were hard on Etna inhabitants. Multiple, very damaging, prolonged eruptions resculpted the territory, devastated the landscape, displaced residents, wiped out villages, and buried valuable agricultural space. One eruption was particularly destructive. Following several days of strong earthquakes, a collapse in Mount Etna’s central crater on March 11, 1669 forced open …
For the best experience, watch the video above in HD (high definition). [Select “settings” in the lower right of the screen and choose your preferred resolution.] I do a lot of grass roots wine education—for individuals, small groups, sommeliers, importers, wine schools, and journalists—using Etna as a lens to have an engaged conversation about the …
It’s inevitable. At least one time during every class, or tour, or lecture I get asked: Are you scared to live on a volcano? or Is there any kind of alert system in place? Surely, when I moved to the volcano, I was a bit nervous. I watched eruptions and fingers of lava light up …
During a ten-year study of Mount Etna, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory filmed the expansion and contraction of the mountain surrounding the vertical and lateral lava chambers that constructed and reconstructed the volcano over the recent 220,000 years. Between 1992 and 2001, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) used …
During the holidays we come together to show gratitude for the things that matter most in Life. It isn’t always possible to be together with so many of us spread out around the globe but I find solace that we have discovered ways to share the special times in our lives through our common appreciation …
WITH AN OPEN INVITATION TO NYT WINE WRITER ERIC ASIMOV Dear Eric, I hope this finds you well … In February 2012, you wrote an article for the New York Times (NYT) about the wines of Mount Etna. I was preparing to announce to my family and colleagues that I was planning to move to …
In late-December 2014, we shot our first commercial for the wine tours and educational experiences we offer through The Etna Wine School™. It was a lot of fun. Our staff spent the day with a great director and his team, going to the places we frequent for our wine classes on Mount Etna – including Monaci …
Your Wine Bus Is Boring … The EWS Has a FANCY Van! Read More »
By Benjamin Spencer Every brand rises and falls on its own merits. You cannot market your way to success or leverage every social interaction in a way that makes you an overnight sensation. You must have boots-on-the-ground strategies that work. Over the last two years, since we arrived in Sicily and launched the Etna Wine …
A Commercial, Wine Hashtags, and A Volcano … Oh My! Read More »
By Nadine Guarrera When we learned that this year’s International Women’s Day theme was “Make It Happen,” I knew we had to shine a light on the women in wine here on Etna. International Women’s Day occurs on March 8 of every year and celebrates women in general in addition to the economic, political and social achievements …
