A Good Choice for a Warm Evening: 2016 Tenuta di Fessina Erse Etna Rosso

“Volcanic wine” is an important new subset of vital wines. Grapevines grown on volcanic soils can impart more complexity to many aspects of the finished wines, from aromas and flavors to structure and overall quality.

This red wine is from one of the new, well-known volcanic wine growing regions in Italy: the slopes of Mount Etna, which is literally an active volcano in the eastern part of the island of Sicily. The wine’s color is super light, orange-red hue, as clear as a good pinot noir. It has bright cherry flavors with light tannins and moderate acidity.

Surprisingly, this feels like a very young wine. Best when slightly chilled, for an aperitif before dinner.

WHO: Tenuta di Fessina

WHAT: 90% Nerello Mascalese, 8% Nerello Cappuccio, 2% Minnella and Carritante

WHERE: Etna DOC, Sicily, Italy

HOW MUCH: $23 (media sample)