π Nerello Mascalese
A red grape from Mount Etna, Sicily, making light, elegant wines.
Nerello Mascalese is a red grape from Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy. Its wines are pale in colour, light and elegant, with high acidity and tannins. They are often compared to Pinot Noir from Burgundy. Aromas are red berries, herbs, smoke and volcanic minerality.
The grape grows on the slopes of Etna, at up to 1,000 metres, on black volcanic soil. Days there are warm and nights cold, so the grapes ripen slowly and stay fresh. Old vines here grow on their own roots, since the volcanic sand kept phylloxera out. Etna wine and Faro wine are made mostly from this grape.
According to genetics, Nerello Mascalese is a descendant of Sangiovese and Mantonico Bianco. The grape is tied to Sicily and Italian wine. It is very sensitive to place, and each plot on Etna gives its own taste. In recent years its wines have become fashionable worldwide, and many producers are opening vineyards on the volcano's slopes.
How it connects to Wine
π Nerello Mascalese β kind of β π Grape varieties β kind of β π· Wine
Links
- Part of
- π Grape varieties
- Origin
- πΊοΈ Italian wine
- Where it grows
- π Etna, π Sicily
- Main grape in
- π Faro, π Etna
- Parents
- π Sangiovese, π Mantonico Bianco
Frequently asked questions
Where does Nerello Mascalese come from?
From Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy.
What wine does it make?
Pale, light and elegant, often compared to Pinot Noir.
Who are the parents of the grape?
Sangiovese and Mantonico Bianco.
What to read next
- πΊοΈ Italian wine β The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grape varieties, appellations.
- π Faro β A rare red wine from the hills near Messina in north-eastern Sicily.
- π Sangiovese β The main red grape of Tuscany, the base of Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino.
- π Mantonico Bianco β An old white grape of Calabria.
Similar
π Nerello Cappuccio Β· π Perricone Β· π Carricante Β· π Calabrese Β· π Catarratto Bianco Lucido Β· π Inzolia Nera