The slopes of Mount Etna provide Andrea Franchetti ‘s team with interesting challenges, though the fact of the vineyard being sited on the slopes of a live volcano appears to be very low in Andrea’s concerns. His first task was to clear and restore long-abandoned terraces of ancient vines on the northern slopes of the mountain, replanting at a density of 12,000 vines per hectare on thin lava dust. The high altitude, sun-drenched vineyards are idyllic yet a constant plume of smoke and the odd ash-filled belch present a constant reminder that Etna is indeed a volcano with attitude, given to relatively frequent lava spills. The volcanic minerality in the wines is however distinctive and impressive