APIUCCIA
WINE & FOOD
Graziella Camarda
Sicilia
Camarda is a winery in the heart of the Alcantara Valley on the first slopes of Etna which produces strictly organically. The Camarda winery was founded towards the end of the 1960s in the small town of Passopisciaro, province of Catania. The estate is characterized by very different soils at an altitude of approximately 650 meters above sea level. In the cellar the result of processing is the purest expression of the grapes, which are left to ferment spontaneously with only indigenous yeasts and no filtration and clarification
U’ funnali
Name of Wine: “U’ funnali”
Type of Wine: Still Rosè
Grape: Nerello Mascalese
Appellation: Terre Siciliane Rosato IGT
Vintage: 2021
Alcohol %: 14
Maturation and ageing: fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel tanks
Camarda Bianco
Name of Wine: “Camarda Bianco”
Type of Wine: Still White
Grape: Carricante
Appellation: White wine
Vintage: 2021
Alcohol %: 13
Maturation and ageing: fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel tanks .
Camarda Rosso
Name of Wine: “Camarda Rosso”
Type of Wine: Still Red
Grape: Nerello Mascalese
Appellation: Terre Siciliane Rosso
Vintage: 2020
Alcohol %: 13
Maturation and ageing: fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged with a small passage in oak barriques
About the Grape: Carricante is an ancient white wine grape variety from eastern Sicily. It is thought to have been growing on the volcanic slopes of Mt Etna for at least a thousand years. The variety is known for its marked acidity, and the high yields which gave rise to its name (carica means "load" in Italian). The best examples come from vines grown in volcanic soils at high altitude (Etna's vineyards stretch up as high as 1,200 meters/3,940ft).
Curiosity: The Etna DOC area includes the territory of 20 municipalities in the foothills of Etna. This volcano is the highest in Europe. This area was the first DOC in Sicily and one of the oldest in Italy. One of the most characteristic and important elements for the quality of the vines is the climatic condition of the territory, characterized by significant variability. The soil is predominantly of volcanic origin and therefore also highly subject to variability. The vineyards are mainly cultivated between 300 and 900 metres, but sometimes, in some areas which are particularly generous for viticulture, they are cultivated up to a height of 1,100 meters above sea level. The vines grown on Etna are native vines: the typical red grape varieties are Nerello Mescalese and Nerello Cappuccio; with white grapes there are mainly Carricante, Catarratto and Minnella