When You’re Through Changing, You’re Through

“Allora” is a phrase Italians use to introduce a new idea. I heard that phrase frequently on a recent pilgrimage to the farther reaches of the lovely country of Italy, to the far south and perhaps spiritual birthplace of volcanic wines — Mt. Etna, on northeast coast of Sicily.

Only when you spend time on Etna do you comprehend that the mountain is truly alive – steaming, rumbling, moving, and always changing. We hiked a recent flank eruption — from 2002 — across “fresh” lava flows and into dense forests, sampling juniper berries as we made our way to nearly 7,000 feet above the nearby Ionian Sea. Every thirty minutes or so, Etna rumbled, the sound similar to distant thunder in a reminder of its state of constant flux.

The last decades have brought an enormous revival of Etna wines, with a focus on specific terroirs, quality winemaking, and on the ancestral varietals of Nerello Mascalese and Carricante. Prime vineyards flank the Northern, Eastern, and Southern slopes. The Greeks first brought vines to the island when they colonized it in 729 BCE, and by the 5th Century BCE viticulture in the area was highly developed. But changes undertaken recently by some bold entrepreneurs have made all of the difference.

I was stuck by how similar our own growing conditions here at Obsidian Ridge Vineyard in the high Mayacamas Range are to Etna: deep volcanic soils, growing elevations of approximately 2,500 feet, and 30-35 inches of rain per year. We also share something deeper than the physical similarities: a sense of exploration and the driving idea that innovation and change is at the very core of our spirit.

The word entrepreneur is from 13th Century French word “entreprendre” which means to undertake or do something. Perhaps inspired by the changing mountain, this new wave of winemakers has embraced a herculean undertaking (author’s note: growing here is not for the faint of heart).

The world of wine today is experiencing significant change. Those that embrace it will prosper, those that do not are bound to the dustbin of history. To borrow a line from Martha Stewart: “When you’re through changing, you’re through.”