Mount Etna, to many, has become synonymous with extreme winemaking and unmistakably volcanic wines (also The White Lotus, but that’s for another bio). And yet, there are still fledgling winemakers here, beginning to work small pockets of this biophysical Colossus, to make their own mark on such a storied history and winemaking landscape.

It’s here we meet Nino Calì of Controcorrente. He is native to Etna, working newly planted vines on his grandfather’s land. Though trained to be an architect, he says, “I think it is more stimulating to express myself through my wines than with a design.”

Nino works roughly 2.5 hectares on this active volcano, most of which were planted in 2015 (though he draws some fruit from older vines as well). He places a lot of importance on the history of his family’s land in addition to the experiences that shaped him as a winemaker. “A wine is not only from terroir, people come first,” he says. He certainly brings a lot of personality as well as a youth factor to bear in this ancient place. Controcorrente is an effort to thread the needle by experimenting while honoring the traditions that make wines from Etna so singular.

Rather than adhere to an existing dogma of winemaking, Nino marches to the beat of his own drum, and has based his philosophy around core tenets that best express his small pocket of Sicily. For starters, everything is always hand-harvested, and he places special emphasis on the sorting process (a luxury for farmers like him who work such small amounts of land). Everything is de-stemmed, and use of wood is judicious. (“Wood aging is like salt. If well-measured it can improve some wines, if excessive, wine is ruined,” he says.)

This meticulousness is coupled with an incredibly relaxed demeanor; Nino is a sweetheart who loves his family, his dog (aptly named Etna) and spending time amongst his vines. The wines express this same playful energy and joie de vivre (or, more accurately, gioia di vivere) without sacrificing their intentionality or sense of place.

CONTROCORRENTE

Country: Italy

Region: Sicily

Sub-region or Appellation: Lingualossa, Mt Etna

Winemakers: Nino Calì

Viticulture: Organic

Terroir: Volcanic

Size: 2.5 ha

Instagram: @controcorrente.etnawines

CONTROCORRENTE :: Preliminare Pet’nat

Pet’nat at its purest; cotton candy marked with generous leesiness and soft acidity, an incredibly plump and generous expression of a grape that often expresses a much leaner side. If you told me it was traditional method, I would believe you.

Vintage: 2023
Varieties: Nerello Mascalese
Style: Sparkling Rosé
ABV: 12%
Region: Sicily
Sub-Region or Appellation: Etna
Viticulture: Organic
Soils: Sandy Volcanic
Altitude: 550m
Age of Vines: 5 years old
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Direct-pressed and fermented in stainless steel. Fermentation is jump-started at bottling with the addition of some fresh, late-harvested juice.
Aging: 12 months on the lees, disgorged 9/24
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: None added

CONTROCORRENTE :: Sulle Bucce

Carricante, Cataratto, Grillo, and Trebbiano join forces in a maceration that prides itself on deftness and freshness over structure. Salty and persistent, with tea-like tannins and everpresent fruitiness.

Vintage: 2023
Varieties: 40% Carricante, 40% Cataratto, 10% Grillo, 10% Trebbiano
Style: Skin-Contact Wine
ABV: 12%
Region: Sicily
Sub-Region or Appellation: Etna
Viticulture: Organic
Soils: Sandy Volcanic
Altitude: 550m
Age of Vines: 10 and 60 years old
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Macerated separately; 10 days for Grillo and Trebbiano, 5 days for Cataratto, and 2 days for Carricante.
Aging: 50/50 in stainless steel and neutral oak, for 6 months
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: Minimal at bottling

CONTROCORRENTE :: (Quasi) Rosso

Nino’s take on the fresher, IGT wines from Etna that could never dream to disguise themselves; red berries, volcanic smokiness, a slightly vegetal edge, unmistakable.

Vintage: 2022
Varieties: 85% Nerello Mascalese, 15% Nerello Cappuccio, Carricante, & Cataratto
Style: Red Wine
ABV: 12%
Region: Sicily
Sub-Region or Appellation: Etna
Viticulture: Organic
Soils: Sandy Volcanic
Altitude: 550m
Age of Vines: 5 years old
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: 2-3 days of skin contact
Aging: 80% in stainless steel, 20% in barrels
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: Minimal at bottling

CONTROCORRENTE :: Boato Della Terra

Structured and rich, dark cherries and peppercorns abound in this delightfully errorless expression of proper Etna Rosso.

Vintage: 2022
Varieties: 80% Nerello Mascalese, 20% Nerello Cappuccio
Style: Red Wine
ABV: 14.5%
Region: Sicily
Sub-Region or Appellation: Etna
Viticulture: Organic
Soils: Sandy Volcanic
Altitude: 550m
Age of Vines: 5 years old
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Traditional fermentation, with roughly two weeks of maceration
Aging: 50/50 in tonneaux and cement, for 12 months
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: Minimal at bottling