Wine: Savour September’s fiery flavours

Soils around volcanoes tend to be highly fertile, producing wines with good minerality

Vineyards below Mount Etna in Sicily: wines produced from volcanic soil are varied, with the region’s climate and topography playing its own part in the flavour structure. Picture: Getty

In the Roman calendar, September is associated with the god of fire and forge – Vulcan. My mind immediately goes to vines grown on volcanic soil, particularly those in the foothills of Sicily’s Mount Etna.

Volcanic wines, however, are by no means confined to this Mediterranean island off the “toe” of Italy. Some vineyards exist in craters formed by past eruptions, while others (like Etna) must live with their volcano’s active state. This often makes ...