Volcanic winemaking is becoming more and more popular. When grapes for wine are grown on the slopes of a volcano that still spews fire, smoke and lava. This kind of winemaking is fraught with risks, but experts argue that volcanic wine is not a marketing gimmick.
Volcanic soils account for only 1% of the world’s surface, they are not very fertile, but the unique composition of these soils gives volcanic wine complex earthy aromas and increased acidity.
Volcanic ash is porous and, when mixed with rocks, creates a favorable environment for water to penetrate through the roots. Lava flows saturate the soil with nutrients such as magnesium, calcium, sodium, iron and potassium.
This year, volcanic wine has become a new trend in gastronomy. So, in the spring in New York, the first international conference dedicated to volcanic wine was held.
And although volcanic winemaking is just beginning to gain momentum, unique wine can already be found on the menus of some restaurants. The most common production of volcanic wine is the Canary Islands (Spain), the Azores (Portugal), Campania (Italy), Santorini (Greece), as well as Hungary, Sicily and California.