Virtual meetings have become a staple of my professional life as an engineer, but when the “winedown” begins, I swap my technical blueprints for a tasting glass. While the world has largely returned to in-person events, I find immense value in these digital rendezvous. As a communicator and member of the media, joining a virtual tasting allows me to capture the heartbeat of a winery from thousands of miles away. Understanding the people behind the bottle through a screen is infinitely better than knowing nothing at all. My recent session with Tenuta di Castellaro was a masterclass in Lipari’s volcanic soul.
Therefore, when I was invited by the passionate team at Tenuta di Castellaro, led by their Export Manager, to sit down for an intimate deep dive into their portfolio, my answer was yes.
There was a comprehensive tasting of their “Unicorn Wines”. These wines from Lipari’s area in the Northwest of Sicily are distinctive, small-production bottles. They bridge the gap between ancient Greek tradition and modern Sicilian viticulture.
While I sat in my home office, the heart of the tasting was located on Lipari, a rugged volcanic island in the Aeolian archipelago, north of Sicily. This virtual session explored the evolution of the estate, from their classic wines to the groundbreaking 2022 release of their newest label. It aimed to understand how 22,000 years of volcanic history, characterized by pumice and obsidian, translates into a wine profile. This profile is “fresher” and deeper than the typical Sicilian heat might suggest.
Situated on 24 hectares of high-altitude vineyards,Tenuta di Castellaro is defined by its soil. During the session, the team showed me the striking landscape where pillars of pumice dominate the view. Pumice is essentially aged obsidian. It is volcanic glass that has weathered over millennia into a porous, mineral-rich stone. This unique geology, paired with the constant Mediterranean wind, creates a microclimate where the vines must dig deep.
An intriguing highlight of the winery is its “friendly to foreigners” philosophy. The winemaking team and export staff aren’t originally from Sicily, echoing the ancient Greek term “Euxenos” (hospitable to strangers). This spirit was historically recorded on ancient amphoras found in the region. Beyond the vine, the estate honors its land through a multifaceted approach: they reclaimed the geomining park of the Caolino Quarries for public use and employ biodynamic techniques to produce around 70,000 bottles a year.
They even produce traditional cucuncci (caper berries) and capers, which share the same saline, volcanic environment as the grapes.
The Export Manager frequently referred to these as “Unicorn Wines” due to their rarity and the specific conditions required to produce them. We focused on the interaction of four elements: Wind, Fire, Soil, and Water.
Bianco Pomice:
This wine is the liquid embodiment of the white pumice pillars. A blend typically led by Malvasia delle Lipari and Carricante, it offers an aromatic profile that is surprisingly crisp. On the nose, I picked up citrus zest and white flowers, but the palate is where the volcanic soil shines. It has a vertical acidity and a salty finish that makes your mouth water, reminiscent of the sea spray hitting the Lipari cliffs.
Nero Ossidiana:
Named after the dark, volcanic glass, this bottle was presented alongside an actual piece of obsidian stone. It is a blend of Corinto Nero and Nero d’Avola. Unlike the jammy Nero d’Avola often found on the Sicilian mainland, this is “fresher” and more elegant. It tastes of wild Mediterranean scrub, tart red berries, and a distinct “stony” quality. It feels structural, like the earth itself, with a deep mineral core that lingers long after the fruit fades.
Euxenos: The first vintage of this label was 2022, marking a significant milestone for the estate. It pays homage to the ancient Greek roots of the island. Tasting this alongside the more established labels, you can feel the evolution. It is a wine of tension—high energy, vibrating with the volcanic “fire” of the island’s history but cooled by the Aeolian winds. It represents the “friendly to foreigners” spirit in a glass.
Tenuta di Castelaro is proving that “volcanic wine” isn’t a monolith. While many enthusiasts flock to Etna, the wines of Lipari offer a different, perhaps more maritime, expression of fire and stone. Through sustainable architecture and a commitment to a natural approach, they have turned 22,000 years of obsidian history into something approachable yet profound. These wines are not just beverages; they are geological artifacts. Between the ancient soil and the modern “Euxenos” philosophy, the winery has successfully bottled the essence of an island. Whether you are sipping the bright Bianco Pomice or the brooding Nero Ossidiana, you are tasting a landscape defined by extremes. For this engineer-turned-wine-writer, the technical precision of their viticulture combined with the raw beauty of the Aeolian Islands makes Tenuta di Castellaro a mandatory stop for any serious collector of Sicilian gems.
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