Mirella Buscemi never planned to make wine. She was a chemist in Syracuse with a good career and zero interest in farming. Then she married Alberto Graci, one of Etna's star winemakers, and received the Tartaraci vineyard as a wedding gift.

This is a very special vineyard. This specific plot once belonged to the hero of Trafalgar. When the Bourbon Kings ruled Sicily in the 1700s, they planted Grenache here alongside the native Nerello Mascalese. After Nelson got the land, the vines kept growing. Through wars, eruptions, and economic collapses, they survived.

Today, Buscemi is one of the few producers on Etna maintaining this historical blend. Nearly everyone else omits the Grenache to keep their Etna DOC designation. Mirella doesn't care about appellations. She cares about those century-old bush vines clinging to life in pure volcanic sand.

The vineyard sits on Etna's northwest face, looking north toward the Tyrrhenian Sea. In winter, it's snowbound. In summer, it bakes under the Mediterranean sun. The vines dig deep into that black volcanic soil, pulling up minerals that taste like crushed stones and iron.

Why You'll Love It

• Single-Contrada History in a Bottle: Once the property of Lord Nelson, Tartaraci vineyard has survived everything Etna could throw at it over the centuries. It’s a single-vineyard wine but priced like a blend.
  

• The Grenache factor: While pure Nerello can be austere and tannic, that 30% Grenache adds flesh and voluptuous red fruit. Think raspberries meeting volcanic minerals, with enough grip to age, but enough charm to drink tonight. It’s 18th and 19th century folk knowledge that somehow has not made it into the Etna Rosso DOC rules.
  

• The altitude delivers natural freshness: At 3,215 feet, even in Sicily's heat, the grapes keep firm acidity. Thanks to north-facing orientation, the wine stays light on its feet despite the concentration from those ancient vines.

How to Serve It

• Serve this at 60°F in large Burgundy glasses. Both Nerello Mascalese and Grenache have a kind of kinship with Pinot Noir, and this wine needs room to breathe and show its complexity.
  

• Drink now through 2030. The volcanic minerality will shine with more time in the bottle. Perfect with grilled lamb, aged pecorino, or swordfish Sicilian-style with capers and tomatoes.