Anna Martens, a Southern Australia native, travelled the globe working for wineries in some of the most beautiful regions that grapes are grown. She finally arrived in Italy, where she met her husband, Eric Narico, owner of an importing company in the UK. They were both in love with the terroir of Sicily and began making wine on Mount Etna in 2008, later purchasing their own vineyards in Contrada Crasa and a rundown old cellar complete with a palmento (a classic Sicilian lava stone tub used for stomping grapes). They now own 2 hectares of old alberello (bush) vines, most of which are Nerello Mascalese, but also including other varieties such as Nerello Cappuccio, Grillo and Carricante. The vineyards range in altitude from 760-900 meters, and are all farmed organically. 

Palmento Bianco is a blend of all their white varietals - 50% Carricante, 20% Grillo, 20% Inzolia, 5% Catarratto, 5% Grecanico - grown high on the northern slopes of Mt. Etna. All the fruit is hand-harvested from the separate vineyards, vinified separately, and then blended to produce a fresh, citrus, dry, mineral white wine. The Carricante comes from the Contrada Crasa near the village of Solicchiata, half of which macerated on skins for 5 days before pressing into a chestnut cask, while the rest was direct-pressed into stainless steel. The Grillo was grown on the mineral-rich terra rossa soils of Marsala, and spent one week on skins then fermented in stainless steel. The Inzolia from limestone-clay soils in Vittoria, south of the island, was direct-pressed and fermented in stainless steel. The remaining field blend of Catarratto and Grecanico grown in Contrada Allegracore, also fermented in a chestnut cask. Each of the grape varieties were fermented by indigenous yeasts to dryness, underwent malolactic fermentation and were then blended together. The finished wine remained on light lees until bottling, unfined, unfiltered. A minimal 20ppm of SO2 was added at bottling.

Grape: 50% Carricante, 20% Inzolia, 20% Grillo, 10% field blend Catarratto & Grecanico 

Soil: "Terra Rossa", Limestone clay, Volcanic 

Viticulture: Organic