Girolamo Russo Feudo di Mezzo Etna Rosso DOC 2021

Giuseppe Russo is a revered winemaker, one of the favorite producers of wine critic Robert Parker, "Winemaker of the Year, 2012" according to Gambero Rosso — he has come a long way from classical music to melodic Sicilian wines. He was a classical musician and writer and knew nothing about winemaking. At 32, Giuseppe's life changed dramatically when his father, Girolamo, died of a sudden heart attack while working in the family vineyards. Giuseppe then faced the choice — "to sell or not to sell... I decided not to sell". And then, Giuseppe says, "I was just lucky". Girolamo Russo grew grapes for wholesale and did not engage in winemaking. His son took over the vineyards at a time when the Etna region was experiencing a new wave of development, and wines from Etna began to attract interest. At that time, Girolamo sought precious advice from three key winemakers of the moment, "they taught me to produce great wine. At first, I had no idea, but I slowly learned". Russo learned patience in waiting to harvest ripe fruit, got the idea of a single vineyard ("cru") and learned that wines made from Nerello grapes could produce concentrated wines with evolving tannins. Today, Giuseppe Russo is a true master. He no longer plays the piano, does not think about the art world, "I am no longer an intellectual," he admits without regret, "I am a farmer, and my best work is wine". Russo's winemaking has earned recognition that has spread throughout Italy and the world. "For me, Giuseppe is a leader in the field. He has the right approach. He is like a poet," says renowned enologist Alessio Planeta from the "Planeta" winery. Such high praise from a neighbor is not common and means a lot. Instead of imposing a style on the wine, Giuseppe Russo keeps his "ego" aside, working more like a pianist interpreting the material of his vineyards to express himself through elegant, flexible, and complex wines.