Ciro Biondi Etna Rosso “Outis” 2025
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The Land
Outis is Greek for "no one," the name Odysseus gave the Cyclops before blinding him and escaping the island. Ciro Biondi chose it for the wine that introduces his family's vineyards above Trecastagni, on Etna's southeastern slope. Fruit comes from the estate's three terraced vineyards, Chianta, San Nicolò and Cisterna Fuori, the last in Contrada Ronzini, at about 640 meters on east-facing ground. Several of these terraces climb the walls of extinct side craters, one dating to around 125 BC and another roughly 12,000 years old, held up by dry-stone walls Ciro's grandfather built. Soils are loose volcanic sand and black pumice, iron-rich in places. The southeast is warmer and more sheltered from wind than the famous north slope, and it gives Nerello paler color and more perfume.
The Wine
The Ciro Biondi Etna Rosso Outis blends 80 percent Nerello Mascalese with 20 percent Nerello Cappuccio, the maximum Cappuccio the appellation allows. Grapes macerate for 11 days and ferment in stainless steel at controlled low temperature with selected yeasts. The wine then ages about 10 months in a mix of steel tanks and neutral barrels and goes to bottle without fining or filtration. No new wood touches it. In past vintages Outis has poured light garnet going pink at the rim, with wild strawberry, red cherry, blood orange peel, rose petal and a little smoke. The body is medium, the acidity bright, the tannins fine and moderate, and the finish turns earthy and mineral. It is a wine built for drinking young, with enough structure to reward a year or two in the cellar.
The People
The Biondi family exported Etna wine to the United States before World War I, then stopped bottling in 1960 after Ciro's grandfather died and sold their grapes in bulk for decades. Ciro's father steered him away from wine, and Ciro became an architect instead. In 1999 he came back, and with his British wife Stephanie he began restoring the family terraces one wall at a time. The story nearly ended badly: after a split with business partners, Biondi recovered more than 2,000 gallons of his own wine, including his first two vintages of Cisterna Fuori, in a nighttime operation in April 2012. Today the couple farm their own vineyards organically and keep production small.
Food Pairing
Treat it like a Burgundy village wine and serve it around 58 degrees. Roast chicken with lemon, thyme and crisped skin is the first call, since the acidity lifts the fat and the fine tannin leaves the meat tender. Pasta with pork ragù and pecorino gives the red fruit something rich to push against. Grilled tuna steak with salmoriglio, the Sicilian oregano and lemon sauce, works because the light tannin will not turn metallic against oily fish. Or set out a board of finocchiona and fresh caciocavallo. Open it on a weeknight when you want red wine that will not wear you out.
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Sicily, Italy’s largest island, blends ancient wine traditions with a fresh wave of modern creativity. Its star red grape, Nero d’Avola, thrives in the island’s warm, sun-soaked climate, producing intensely flavored wines with dark fruit and a hint of savory spice. Along the western coast lies the historic heartland of Marsala, a fortified wine prized for both sweet and dry styles. Rising above the island’s varied landscapes is Mount Etna, an active volcano whose mineral-rich soils and cooler elevations result in elegantly structured reds and nuanced whites. From coast to crater, Sicily’s wine culture is as diverse and vibrant as the region itself.
Italy - Sicily
Named for its pale color and hometown of Mascali, Nerello Mascalese is a rising star in the wine world. Indigenous to Mount Etna, it was overlooked for decades until recently the world has taken notice of the elegant yet powerfully minerally wines produced on the volcanic slopes. Think halfway between Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo.
