By Aaroncino
I walked into The Wine Country with $30 in my hand and one mission: find a Sicilian wine worth talking about. No insider bias, no importer’s edge. Just a guy with a camera and a question:
If you didn’t know me, what would you hand to someone open-minded but clueless about Sicilian wine?
In the Italian section stood Kevin Lepisto, a ten-year Wine Country veteran who came up through the restaurant scene on the Sunset Strip at places like Osteria Drago, one of Celestino Drago’s classic spots. The man has poured more than a few bottles and knows how to read a palate.
“First, I’d ask a couple questions,” he said. “Do they like lighter wines or fuller-bodied ones? If they said lighter, I’d take them straight to Etna Rosso.”
Etna Rosso.
Still one of Italy’s most misunderstood regions and maybe the most exciting. It is the kind of wine professionals whisper about with a knowing smile, wondering when everyone else will finally catch on.
“It’s like if Barolo and Burgundy had a baby,” Kevin said. “You get the aromatics, forest floor, and minerality of Burgundy, but with the grip, cherry fruit, and earthiness of Nebbiolo. Complex but approachable.”
He was right. Wines from Mount Etna live in that tension. Light yet structured, aromatic yet volcanic. They feel alive.
When it comes to food, Kevin keeps it simple:
“Roast chicken, pork, even oily fish. Anything with mushrooms or truffle. It sings.”
Then he handed me a bottle of Pietradolce Etna Rosso, a blend of Contradas (single-vineyard zones) around the volcano, made entirely from Nerello Mascalese. Elegant, mineral, and still under $30.
Founded in 2005, Pietradolce farms its vines on the northern slopes of Mount Etna in the tiny village of Solicchiata. The vineyards sit between 2,000 and 3,000 feet above sea level on steep, rocky terraces of black volcanic sand and ash. Many of their vines are alberello trained and over fifty years old, producing small yields with striking intensity. Pietradolce has become a benchmark for the new generation of Sicilian producers who balance purity, tradition, and an unmistakable sense of place.
That is the heartbeat of this whole project.
Thirty dollars. One conversation. One genuine connection to a place that deserves more attention.
Before leaving, I asked how long he had been there.
“Ten years,” he said, with the quiet confidence of someone who has seen more vintages than he can count. From Hollywood restaurants to Long Beach retail, he has watched trends come and go, yet he still pushes Sicily and still believes in its potential.
So if you walk into a shop wondering where to start, start here.
Ask for Etna Rosso.
Ask for Pietradolce.
Ask for the wine that tastes like fire made elegant.
Because in Sicily, even thirty dollars can buy you a story worth drinking.
Tasting Notes
Pietradolce Etna Rosso DOC – 100% Nerello Mascalese
Bright red cherry, crushed stone, smoke, and herbs. Medium-bodied with graceful tannins.
Pair It With: Roast chicken, pork loin, grilled swordfish, or mushroom risotto.
Find It: The Wine Country, Long Beach, CA
