Calabretta, Cala Cala Rosso - NV

Fast Facts:

Winemaker(s): Massimiliano Calabretta
Region: Etna → Sicily → Italy
Varietal(s): Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio
Terroir: Black volcanic ash and sandy loam with lava rock, North facing Etna slopes, 680-900m elevation, extreme temperature swings
Serving Temp: 60-65°F

The Calabretta family has been farming the north slope of Mount Etna since the early 1900s, selling their wine in bulk to restaurants and private customers who made the journey up the mountain to collect it. That went on for nearly a century. In 1997, third- and fourth-generation father and son Massimo and Massimiliano finally decided to bottle under their own label, to make sure the traditions of their family and the mountain wouldn't quietly disappear.

Massimiliano teaches at the University of Genova and makes wine the way his family always has. His vineyards run along stone-walled terraces on the volcano's cooler north face, planted between 680 and 900 meters, where wild swings between day and night temperatures push slow, even ripening. Most of the vines are 70 to 80 years old, a good portion ungrafted, still running on their original rootstock. His flagship Vigne Vecchie spends six to seven years in massive old Slavonian oak before it leaves the cellar. When he first met his American importer, his opening line was: "I make my wine like Bartolo Mascarello." On Etna in the late '90s, that was a statement.

Cala Cala translates to "Gulp Gulp," akin to "Glou Glou" and the wine absolutely fits the bill. It's the 31st bottling of a blend Massimiliano builds from declassified fruit and barrels set aside from the Vigne Vecchie program: mostly old-vine Nerello Mascalese with a touch of Nerello Cappuccio, macerated about a week, aged in a mix of stainless and neutral oak. Unfined, unfiltered. Ultra drinkable but not in a pool-party disco natural wine way, you know?

Why'd we pick it?

There's a whole category of farming families who spent generations doing exactly what they were "supposed to do": grow it, sell it off, move on. Someone else would bottle it, someone else would put their name on it. Massimiliano's family did that for nearly a hundred years. When he finally decided to label it himself, he was trying to preserve something, and those stories I especially love.

Field Notes

• Tastes like: Dried cherry and blood orange with volcanic VIBES. Dusty earth, dusty flowers, baking spice and orange zest through the middle. Finishes with some tart cherry and chill tannins with surprising freshness.
• Serve it: a short chill if desired. It certainly could be decanted if you'd like! Or just practice your swirling
• Food pairings: Morels are popping up! Grab a pile and sauté in butter and thyme over polenta, OR throw them into a springy ragù. Chicken thighs in the air fryer with an herby salsa verde would be the ticket too. Or, for a lighter night, lentils with caramelized onions and a fried egg on top.