Al Cantara A Nutturna

Al-Cantàra ‘A Nutturna is an unusual white wine from the northern slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily, made from 100% Nerello Mascalese, a grape normally used for red wine. The grapes are whole-bunch pressed and fermented without extended skin contact, producing a dry white with plenty of character. Aromas of ripe citrus and tropical fruit sit alongside white flowers, liquorice, mint and herbs. The palate is broad and savoury, with fresh acidity and a distinctive mineral, saline finish. It spends four to six months on its fine lees, adding texture and complexity.

Pineapple, Apricot, Citrus, White Flowers, Liquorice, Mint, Saline Mineral Finish

Contains sulphites.

• Grilled swordfish • Seafood pasta • Roast chicken with herbs • Aged pecorino

Nerello Mascalese is one of Etna’s signature red grapes, particularly valued for the elegant, fresh reds it produces on the volcano’s slopes. ‘A Nutturna turns that tradition on its head by making the grape into a white wine, pressing the whole bunches and fermenting the juice without the prolonged skin contact used for red wine. The vines grow at around 620 metres on mineral-rich volcanic soils near Randazzo. The name is Sicilian dialect for “the nocturnal”, and Al-Cantàra names its wines after poetry by Sicilian writers.