Milo (Catania, Sicily) context: The physical environment

In this post I continue to provide context on the comune of Milo. I kicked off this series with an overview of the history and economics of the comune and continue herein with the physical aspects of the winemaking environment.

Milo is the only area within the DOC where Etna Bianco Superiore can be produced. The eastern slopes are unprotected from the autumn and winter rains but the combination of rapid runoff and early morning sun contribute to their attractiveness as growing regions (especially for whites). This comune, as described by Salvo Foti, lies between the mountain and the sea and the warm air from the latter meets with the cold air from the former over Milo with the result being significant rainfall (average 1500mm/year) over the entire growing area.

In addition to the rain, growers have to contend with year-round winds which can attain speeds of as much as 50 miles/hour. There are beneficial aspects to the winds, however. Moisture dries out rapidly, keeping vine diseases at bay and allowing vineyards to make it through the growing season with only sulfur and copper sprays. 

According to Salvo, the sea and wind combine to imbue the Carricante grown on this side of the mountain with a saltiness that is not evident in Carricantes grown on the north face. According to Benjamin North-Spencer (New Wines of Mt Etna), the soils have a high mineral content but, in addition, breezes coming in off the sea are trapped at altitude and the salt moisture they contain come back to earth with the rain. These mineral, saline wines are endowed with incredible acidity and longevity and, if produced well, can age for 15 to 20 years.

The Valle del Bove, the horseshoe-shaped structure that dominates on this side of the volcano, is, according to Ben, the original shield volcano's crater. This crater blew the top (15,000 years ago, according to Ben; 8,000 and 60,000 years according to other sources) off the mountain and then fell back in on itself. It collected snowfall from the mountain, forming a glacial lake and decomposing the volcanics that were the core of the seven volcanoes that comprised the Elliptico (The decomposition of volcanic material forms allophane, a type of primordial clay, which is sticky for nutrients and holds water temporarily so that it can be accessed by the vine roots. The allophanes, due to their construct, provide a much greater surface area for nutrient attachment than does other more traditional clays.).

The eastern flank of the volcano was involved in a landslide that deposited water and eroded volcanics over the slope where we find Milo located today. These eroded volcanics were distributed over a very steep and plateaued environment. 

The soil is sandy and of volcanic origin with a substantial portion of ripiddu (lapilli and eruptive pumice) intermixed with red soils from the Sahara Desert deposited here by the aforementioned winds. The sandy soils drain rapidly, forcing the roots to dig deep in search of moisture and nutrients. 

The EtnaDOC Consorzio recently introduced a new DOC map with 142 contrade, eight of which are located in the Milo comune. The map, with an exploded Milo section, is illustrated in the chart below.

Information source: Ugo Nicosia (Marketing and Communications Director, Azienda Agricola Iuppa) communication with Brandon Tokash

This map is a work in progress and will be updated with info as our knowledge base expands. That being said, the differing elevations stipulated in each contrada aligns with a vineyard location. Based on the data, the soils are similar across contrade, except for some increased soil complexity in areas proximate to the path of the ancient landslide. The key contributor -- from the physical aspect -- to differentiation among wines made from grapes grown in these contrade are elevation effects. As pointed out in the previous chart, both the visual and olfactory wine profiles at Milo are affected by changes in altitude.    

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