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2020 Spumante Ancestrale
Masseria del Pino
Grown at half a mile above sea level, organic, biodynamic producer Masseria del Pino bottles a sparkling wine from Mount Etna that tastes like a day spent in the sun. Notes of juicy blood orange and pineapple have salty, flinty inflections from the small vineyard’s volcanic home by the sea. The vines may be 140 years old and the method may be ancestral—meaning the second fermentation occurs in-bottle—but what comes out is playful and full of energy. Perfect for a picnic or an outing on the water.
—Allyson Noman
Wine Type: | sparkling |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Field blend: Carricante, Catarratto, Minella, Pizzutella |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Sicily |
Producer: | Masseria del Pino |
Winemaker: | Cesare Fulvio and Federica Turillo |
Vineyard: | 140 years, 1.7 ha total |
Soil: | Volcanic |
Aging: | Fermentation in chestnut barrels for two days before bottling , secondary fermentation in bottle |
Farming: | Biodynamic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 11% |
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2021 Terre Siciliane Bianco “Lato Sud”
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About The Producer
Masseria del Pino
Driving down the dusty road to Masseria del Pino, Cesare Fulvio and Federica Turillo’s little farm upslope from Randazzo, it is hard to tell which century we are living in. This is Etna in all its pastoral serenity, with only the sights, scents, and sounds of the mountain to stimulate the senses.
This simple, peaceful lifestyle is precisely what the couple envisioned when they settled here in 2005. Catania natives, they left their jobs—Cesare as a commercial air pilot, Federica as an archery instructor—to cultivate the two hectares of terraced vineyards at Contrada Pino, elevation 800 meters. They renovated the property’s ancient palmento, a traditional farmhouse featuring an old press and large fermentation vats made of lava stone, and began to work the 120-year-old vines, plus some olive trees and vegetable gardens, according to organic and biodynamic principles.
About The Region
Sicily
Italy’s southernmost region and the largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily has no shortage of sunshine to grow high-quality grapes on a yearly basis. It also does not lack a history of winemaking: since the Greeks settled here almost three millennia ago, the vine has played a major role in the island’s agricultural makeup. Production of cheap bulk wine for blending dominated much of its recent history until now, as we are witnessing a quality revolution that puts forth its great diversity and quality of terroirs, indigenous grape varieties, and local production methods.
While Sicily’s historical reputation is for sweet wines—Marsala and the Muscats of Pantelleria stand out—a number of dry whites and reds are enjoying the spotlight today. The cooler, high-altitude slopes of Etna, with its ashy volcanic soils, have seen an explosion of activity from producers both local and foreign; both whites (primarily from Carricante) and reds (Nerello Mascalese) here are capable of uncommon freshness and finesse. Other noteworthy wine regions are Eloro, where Nero d’Avola gives its best; Noto, an oasis of dry and sweet Moscatos; Vittoria, with its supple, perfumed Frappatos; and Salina, where Malvasia makes thirst-quenching dry whites and deliciously succulent passiti.
Countless foreign invasions over the centuries have given Sicilian architecture and cuisine a unique exotic twist, making it a fascinating destination for gourmands as well as wine importers. With a wealth of dedicated artisans proud to show off the riches of their land, you can bet there are many exciting things still to come from this incredible island.
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Where the newsletter started

Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch