What Is Volcanic Wine and What the Heck Does It Taste Like?
We love our Provençal rosé and California Cab Sauv as much as the next person. But if we’re being honest about our wine preferences, we’re always ready for an interesting new sipper to try.
Enter volcanic wine. What’s that, you say?
Long story short, volcanic wine is made from grapes grown in soil that contains remnants of past volcanic explosions, i.e., basalt rock and pumice. (FYI, volcanic ash is super hospitable to plants.) And because the growing land is so rugged, the grapes are almost always harvested entirely by hand. That’s all to say: Expect some funky, fascinating bottles of wine.
How do they taste, exactly? Volcanic wines are much more aromatic, bright and fresh, thanks to the fertile soil and relatively untouched land. The reds are lighter and less tannic, while whites are salty and refreshing. It’s like terroir on steroids. You’ll find bottles from Italy, Spain, Greece and Hungary as well as stateside (think Oregon and California).
That’s not to say we won’t be drinking rosé this summer…but pass us the Etna Rosso first.