Who has never dreamed about growing vines hanging in the sky? On Etna, Famiglia Catania owns the Reseca clos, the legacy of a former vineyard planted 850 meters above sea level in the sector of Randazzo, on the north side of Mount Etna. The name of the vineyard is Poggio. With Salvo Foti, Famiglia Catania provides the most careful attention to the vineyard in order to naturally restore the uniqueness of this place influenced by a continental climate. It draws its strength from the basic volcanic earth and the native variety, Nerello Mascalese, that is grown in alberello to 10,000 plants / ha. It is a vineyard in the mountain, it has such an inclination that working with a donkey is the only way to cultivate this vineyard terraces with dry stone walls. In Sicily, this type of vineyard terraces is called “reseca”.
Vito Catania: “The harvest will begin this week with optimal conditions. Maturity, always earlier than other vineyards in the area due to its unique amphitheater shape, is perfect. It is healthy thanks to good weather conditions all year long. The taste of the grapes from over 100 years old vines reveals the typical tannic structure and the fine aromas that this wine, from this incredible place, can offer.”
Etna is a large stratovolcano, peaking at about 3340 m above sea level, located along the eastern coast of Sicily. It covers an area of over 1,250 km2 and is bordered by mountains Nebrodi and Peloritani in the north and by the alluvial plain of the Simeto river (Piana di Catania) in the south. From the geodynamics point of view, Etna is located in the area of continental collision between the Eurasian plate at the north and the African plate at the south. The development of a basic type of volcanic activity in the area of continental collision is related to the presence of a major geologic fault, known as the Malta Escarpment, which cut the crust of the eastern Sicily allowing the growing of the Earth’s mantle magma. The soils that characterize these places are volcanic sands, enriched with minerals and trace elements.
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