Frank Cornelissen Munjebel VA Bianco 2019 1.5L
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The Land
VA stands for Vigne Alte, and these are the highest vineyards Cornelissen farms: Tartaraci, at 1,000 meters near Maletto on Etna's Bronte side, facing north, and Zacchino Pietre at 920 meters in Linguaglossa, facing east-northeast. This is the upper limit of where vines were ever planted on the volcano, above the zone most Etna wine comes from, on volcanic sand where the growing season stretches weeks past the valley floor. The producer lists the ungrafted vines at 60 to 90-plus years old. Cold nights at a thousand meters are the whole point: acidity that never bakes out, even in a Sicilian summer.
The Wine
The blend is 60 percent Grecanico Dorato, 30 percent Coda di Volpe, and 10 percent Carricante, all ungrafted. Destemmed, lightly crushed, and macerated on the skins about four days with indigenous yeasts, then aged 18 months in neutral epoxy tanks of 1,500 to 2,500 liters and another 18 months in bottle before release. Winter apple, citrus running from lime to orange peel, green curry spice, and dried herbs over crystalline high acidity and a dense, tannic-edged texture. 2019 was a relief vintage after the rain-wrecked 2018: a gentle season with clean fruit, though uneven ripening within clusters forced sorting-table selection. In magnum, the slower oxygen exchange means this is still early in its arc.
The People
Cornelissen spent his first decade on Etna openly unconvinced by the mountain's whites. The 2010 Bianco VA converted him; he called it "the first white wine from Etna which I really enjoyed." That skepticism shapes the cuvée: rather than imitate coastal Carricante, he built a white from high-altitude, own-rooted old vines, farmed as polyculture among fruit trees and buckwheat and vinified with nothing added, a Belgian ex-wine-trader's answer to the question of what volcanic white wine should be. The VA bottlings, red and white, are the scarcest wines in the cellar after Magma.
Food Pairing
Porchetta or fennel-crusted roast pork loin, since the wine's tannic edge and acid slice through fat like a red would. Taleggio or another washed-rind cheese, a classic skin-contact match where funk meets density. Fried chicken thighs with honey and Calabrian chile, because high acid and phenolic grip reset the palate between bites. Tagliatelle in cream with mushrooms, which the wine's texture matches weight for weight. A magnum exists to be opened for a table of six; this one rewards the group that lets it breathe for an hour.
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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
Native to Sicily's Mount Etna, Carricante is a high acid white grape known for minerality. It's at its best on the east slope of the volcano, showing saltiness and texture with ample acidity to age for decades.
