# Graci Etna Rosso (2024)

- **Producer:** Graci
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Nerello Mascalese
- **Region:** Sicilia, Italy
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.5%
- **Average price:** €28
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, raspberry, strawberry, plum, orange, rose, violet, herbaceous, smoke, leather, forest floor

## About this wine

Azienda Agricola Graci was founded in the mid-2000s by Alberto Graci, a former investment banker in Milan who returned to his Sicilian roots to revive his family's winemaking heritage. Located on the north-eastern slopes of Mount Etna in the high-altitude district of Passopisciaro, the estate focuses on showcasing the unique, mineral-rich volcanic terroir. Graci is highly respected for its non-interventionist philosophy, organic farming practices, and dedication to preserving the authentic, elegant character of Etna's native grape varieties.

## Interesting facts

- Founder Alberto Graci left a successful career as an investment banker in Milan to establish the winery on Mount Etna.
- The wine is aged entirely in concrete vats with zero oak contact to preserve the pure, high-toned volcanic character of the grape.
- Some of the estate's vines are planted on their own original, ungrafted rootstocks due to the phylloxera-resistant sandy volcanic soils.

## Food pairing

This volcanic red behaves similarly to a high-acid Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo. Its vibrant acidity and fine-grained, vertical tannins cut through rich, oily fish like tuna and swordfish without clashing, while its savory, mineral-driven profile beautifully complements roasted meats and earthy, sheep's milk cheeses.

## Wine making process

This wine is crafted from 100% Nerello Mascalese grapes, hand-harvested from vineyards situated between 600 and 700 meters above sea level. Fermentation takes place spontaneously using indigenous yeasts in concrete vats, accompanied by a traditional 30-day maceration on the skins to gently extract structure and color. Crucially, the wine is aged for 18 months entirely in concrete tanks with zero oak contact, followed by 2 months of bottle refinement, ensuring a pure, linear expression of the volcanic soil.