Da Villa Neri alla scoperta dell'Etna, il vino miglior strumento per vivere le terre del vulcano

LINGUAGLOSSA - On Etna, there are those who come, those who stay, and those who return. The Neri family embodies all of these aspects, as Vincenzo Barletta, returning from the United States where he had emigrated with his brother Salvatore, purchased properties on the volcano, investing his overseas earnings. Today, his grandsons Fabio and Salvo Neri continue to run the estates, having continued to invest in them, building a country house, a luxury resort, and beginning to bottle the wine the family had been producing for over a century. And the fourth generation is emerging, with Santo and Sofia, who, though still very young, are already at the forefront, managing the marketing and sales of the nearly 50,000 bottles produced. The Villa Neri Resort & Spa in Linguaglossa (Catania), the only five-star hotel on Etna, is a modern and comfortable property, yet designed with inspiration from the area's traditional architecture, in Salvo's belief that classic lines never fade. Open from mid-March to mid-November, it is now a bustling hub of foreign tourists, primarily Europeans but also Americans. Twenty-four rooms, including wine cellar suites with private cellars, two dining rooms, and a wellness center nestled in a 30,000-square-meter park, 10,000 of which are accessible to guests. And while wine and territory are now understood to go hand in hand, especially in those regions that have made it, the former cannot be separated from the food. Therefore, you can enjoy a fine dining experience at the Dodici Fontane restaurant—always open to non-residents, too—where the kitchen has been entrusted for fifteen years to chef Elia Russo, who offers traditional Sicilian dishes with a contemporary twist, with Mario Santitto in charge of the dining room—or a more intimate experience at the Casa Arrigo country house. Villa Neri was born almost by chance after the two Neri brothers opened their agriturismo in 2000: "The initial idea was completely different from what we see today. We wanted to create a support structure for the agriturismo, already considered one of the most beautiful in the world near the sea," says Salvo. "Together with my brother, a structural engineer, we sat under an apricot tree, eating them. He began designing the structure. It was the early 2000s." Under the direction of Fabio Cimenti, Villa Neri welcomes luxury tourism, primarily from abroad: "Only 10 percent of our guests are Italian, concentrated in the summer, especially August," he says. "We offer experiences primarily related to wine and food. Tastings of Neri products, but by taking advantage of our restaurant, we can also offer cooking classes, not only of traditional Sicilian dishes like cannoli or arancini, but also of lesser-known local recipes." And in 2018, the wine adventure began. At least as it stands today, considering the family has always farmed but never vinified or bottled. New acquisitions have allowed them to expand the properties inherited by Fabio and Salvo, and today they comprise approximately 45 hectares, 10 of which are planted with vineyards, some of which are over a century old, and four hectares of olive groves with the local Nocellara dell'Etna variety. In Contrada Arrigo, the land surrounding the country house and resort is cultivated with Carricante, Catarratto, and Nerello Mascalese, while in the Borrigliona district, Nerello Mascalese is grown as a bush vine. "We have great respect for the land, because my grandfather, Cavaliere Vincenzo Barletta, told us 'remember that the land is the only one that will never betray you.' Our respect comes from there, and the land rewards us with genuine fruits," says Salvo. "We are located in a unique area, with unique characteristics that give our wines great minerality and acidity. Success came when we transitioned from excellent viticulture to excellent winemaking. The combination of these two elements gave rise to the so-called Etna phenomenon." The winery currently produces eight different labels: three reds, three whites, a rosé, and a classic method sparkling wine, produced for the first time in 2021. This is a pure Nerello Mascalese vinified as a white wine and aged for 48 months on the lees. Starting from Villa Neri, there are fascinating experiences to be had on the volcano: on foot or by 4x4 bus, which allows anyone to reach above 2,000 meters, you can skirt the craters formed by the last major eruption, that of 2002. "We first reach the summit, at 2,800 meters, and then descend to 2,000 meters, explaining what Etna is and can do, and the relationship between those who live beneath the volcano and the volcano itself," explains Giordano Ferrara, Etna tour guide.