Cantina Paolini

Thanks to the Sicilian maritime climate and the winds sweeping off the sea through their vines, Cantine Paolini have been able to maintain an environmentally friendly approach and they produce organically certified Grillo and Nero d’Avola. The soil is fertilised with infusions of organically produced herbs and legumes and no sulphur is used at any stage in the making of these two wines.

Vincenzo Argileri is commercial director, and Giovanna Argileri is the agronomist. Their oenologist is Pietro Montalto – no, not Montalbano! They aim to replant every thirty years, so there is a rolling replanting programme. As a result, grapes from the younger wines go into entry level wines, whereas those from older plants are used for their more important products. Fermentation is in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, using selected yeasts. Wine is aged in vitrified cement tanks and stainless steel. 

‘E’ Etna Rosso DOC is 80% Nerello Mascalese and 20% Nerello Cappuccio, grown on the volcanic soil of Mount Etna. The wine spends ten months in large French oak barrels, and is rest in bottle for six months. The new ‘E’ Etna Bianco is 100% Carricante, grown on the alluvial and clayey lava of Mount Etna’s slopes. Paolini lease vineyards off a local grower, and are the only cooperative winery to produce wine on the volcano. All the work is supervised by the Paolini team, and the wine (just like the Etna Rosso) is vinified on Etna. It is aged for six months in stainless steel tanks and a further six months in bottle before release.

Cantine Paolini was founded in 1964.