Etna terroir, the Burgundy of the Mediterranean – the Lava Lout Returns, Part 2 of 2

Paul HowardArticles, Blog, Italy, Organic, Sicilia, Travel

Etna terroir

Etna terroir, the Burgundy of the Mediterranean – the Lava Lout Returns, Part 2 of 2 The Etna Terroir Part 1 of this article described how a Sicilian volcano bestows natural gifts to create the Etna terroir. But Etna isn’t one terroir; there are many variations. Welcome to the Burgundy of the Mediterranean. Etna’s volcanic soils are free-draining and low in …

Etna, or why I’m a Lava Lout – Part 1 of 2

Paul HowardArticles, Blog, Italy, Sicilia, Travel

Etna smouldering

Etna, or Why I’m a Lava Lout – Part 1 of 2 At 3,343 metres (10,968 feet), Mount Etna (Mongibello) spits, snarls and smokes. All around is ash, black as death. Above us, the summit has four active craters caked with yellow sulphur. Etna erupts almost continuously, and as we climb to 3,050 metres, it’s too dangerous to ascend further. …

Veeno, an Italian Wine Café in the UK

Paul HowardArticles, Blog, Food, Hotels, Restaurants & Pubs, Italy

Veeno

Veeno, an Italian Wine Café in the UK It’s not every day that you encounter a genuinely different take on Italian food and wine in Britain. That Veeno manages this admirably is down to director Nino Francesco Caruso and his business partner Andrea Zecchino. They set up their small chain of 20* restaurants in 2013, starting with Leeds and Manchester. This …

Rescue Mission. Palari Faro, a Sicilian Icon

Paul HowardArticles, Blog, Italy, Sicilia

Palari Faro

Rescue Mission. Palari Faro, DOC Faro, Sicily. 2009. 13.5% This fabulous wine comes from north-east coastal Sicily, on steep volcanic slopes between the towns of Messina and Taormina. It is called Faro after the lighthouse that guards the entrance to Messina’s harbour. Beyond are the narrow, dangerous straights of Messina separating Sicily from mainland Italy. Faro is a shining light …