Sicily’s Etna is regularly described as the ‘Burgundy of the south’, which I take as a reference to its parcellated, high-density vineyards rather than to its wine style. Some of the pale, fragrant reds currently being made on Europe’s largest active volcano may resemble burgundy superficially, but a general Etna style that convincingly reflects its terroirs has yet to emerge.
When, at the beginning of the 2000s, the first new-wave Etna reds started to make their appearance on international markets, it was the likes of Andrea Franchetti and Marc De Grazia who fuelled interest in the wines, helped by long-standing...