A sommelier on the volcano

 

The wish of those who work in the world of wine is to create a wine of their own, sooner or later. A secret wish that Federico Graziani has fulfilled and made official a few days ago, in Pier Giuseppe Moroni’s atelier in Milan, during the presentation of Profumo di Vulcano, an Etna Rosso wine from Nerello cappuccio and Nerello mascalese grapes, whose colour reminds us of a Pinot Noir, with tannins that match the elegance of a Nebbiolo with the smoky spices of great Syrah wines.

Graziani is a well-known professional in the wine field: best Sommelier in Italy in 1998, Gualtiero Marchesi, Cracco Cracco and Aimo Moroni’s collaborator in the dining room, he’s also an author, a graduate in Viticulture and Oenology and publisher of Marco Pozzali’s magazine “Pietre Colorate”. Federico adores Etna which he defines as «a unique territory because it’s both mountain and sea, fire and ice, and in the hottest months it’s 45°C in daytime and 16°C at night, with an incredible temperature range and a rainfall similar to that of Bourgogne».

Those who visit Etna are captured by the sense of uncertainty of its people: it’s almost a silence, with the precise awareness of how life and the ground on which they sit are conditioned by the tantrums thrown by the volcano. In 2008 Federico bought a farm in the hamlet of Passopisciaro, Castiglione di Sicilia, right from the butcher in this small village who had already obtained financing to dig up the vines. The vineyard, partly centennial, was saved from its sad destiny also thanks to Salvo Foti, the famous oenologist from Etna, who restored the strength and vitality of the vineyards.

After the purchase, Graziani, who considers himself a «keeper» rather than an owner, soon understood the lesson given by this place: «you may buy a vineyard but not its fruit». In 2009, the intense rain that fell around the time of harvesting caused a loss of the entire production, thus postponing the launch of the wine to only a few days ago. The wine’s name was suggested by gastronomist Andy Hayler while the label is a flower painted by Pier Giuseppe Moroni himself on Polaroid paper with enamel and tar that recall, without any doubt, the elements of the volcano.
The lessons given by Aimo Moroni were essential for Graziani to recognise exceptional raw materials and the best production areas and the ethical valorisation in food and wine.

Profumo di Vulcano was matured in used barriques e tonneaux and further refined in bottle. Its old vineyards have produced around a thousand precious bottles. A dynamic project, that involves photographer Yoshie Nishikawa, capable of capturing extraordinary images: with her, Federico will launch a photo competition for the next vintage involving Japanese students and Italian professionals, in the search of great shots on this small territory of rare beauty.