I Vigneri
Next week we will be landing a long-awaited refrigerated container of natural and top end wines from Italy. One of the producers whose wines we most eagerly anticipate - and which you'll get to try at our upcoming Trade tasting at Puffin - are those of Salvo Foti from Mt. Etna.
The founder of I Vigneri – a guild of viticulturists and winemakers based on a 15th century guild of the same name, Salvo is a true custodian of Etnean tradition. From building dry stone walls to the use of traditional chestnut posts (one per bush vine) and, above all, making wine in the traditional Palmento - which he considers to be as integral to Sicilian winemaking as clay amphorae are to Georgia - the wines of I Vigneri are as natural as wines can be. Made without temperature control or added S02, they speak of Etna’s unique climate and geology.
When I visited Salvo and his wife, Maria Grazie, in 2019, he took me to visit the highest vineyard on Etna called “Vigna Bosco” – the forest vineyard. Surrounded by a holly oak forest on the northern slopes of the volcano, the vines are planted in 1m x 1m grid with traditional albarello or tree vines, achieving a density of 10,000 vines per hectare. It is home to 100-plus-year-old vines of Alicante, Grecanico and Minnella (Etna’s famed red grape, Nerello Mascalese, can’t grow at this altitude).
Salvo told me how he found the vineyard by following a semi-wild pig in his truck in hopes of finding its owner. He met an old man and ended up befriending him, saying that if he ever thought of selling that vineyard, Salvo would be honoured to buy it. Years later the man put him to the test saying, “Show me how you prune”. After seeing Salvo’s technique, the man said “Va bene, I’ll sell you Vigna Bosco”.
From those vines, Salvo makes an ethereal field blend rosato wine, which in some years yields a dry wine, whilst in others, it is vinified as a metodo classico, getting 18 months on the lees. Both wines are named Vindulice – wine of the oaks. We only get a very small allocation but with a bit of luck, we will open a bottle or two at our Trade tasting at Puffin on Monday September 28th from 1-5.30 PM. You’ll also get to try Salvo’s Etna white called Aurora and I Vigneri red, along with a host of other epic wines.
We really look forward to seeing you there!
All the best,
Richard
