Why this wine matters
More than a famous label.
It is mostly Nerello Mascalese but deliberately includes other local varieties and vineyards, reflecting the older Etna tradition of blending grapes and contrade.
Frank Cornelissen · Etna, Sicily
Susucaru Rosso
Etna field blend · fragrant · fluid · red fruit · volcanic · low intervention
Susucaru Rosso is Frank Cornelissen’s entry-level red and one of the most recognisable low-intervention Etna wines.
Country
Italy
Region
Etna, Sicily
Appellation
Terre Siciliane
Grapes
Nerello Mascalese · Nerello Cappuccio · Alicante Bouschet · Minnella · Uva Francesa
Style
Red
Realistic spend
£23–£32
Budget band: £20–£35
Best moments
birthdaycasualdinner partygifttasting night
A recognisable natural Etna red for tasting nights and adventurous birthdays.
How it is made
The decisions behind the style.
The wine is destemmed, lightly crushed, fermented with an indigenous-yeast pied-de-cuve and kept on skins for about 30 days before ageing in neutral epoxy tanks.
What does it taste like?
The shape of the wine.
Fragrant red fruit, herbs and volcanic savouriness lead into a fluid, energetic palate with enough tannin for food but no obvious oak flavour.
Body3/5
Acidity5/5
Tannin3/5
Sweetness0/5
Oak influence0/5
Freshness5/5
Aroma5/5
Serve it well
Serve around 14–16°C.
If this wine were human…
The quirky optimist
If Susucaru Rosso were human, it would be has an unusual idea, an excellent playlist and enough charm to make both seem sensible.
nimblesharp-mindeddiplomaticunfussy
Does any of this sound suspiciously familiar?
Has an unusual idea, an excellent playlist and enough charm to make both seem sensible. You like confidence, but not the sort that needs to keep announcing itself.
At dinner, you are the person who quietly improves the seating plan without ever admitting there was a seating plan. Secretly, you like old-fashioned things when they are done with enough confidence to feel modern again.
In short: has an unusual idea, an excellent playlist and enough charm to make both seem sensible. etna field blend energy, translated into a person.
Purely for fun — this is the wine’s fictional personality, not a psychological reading of yours.
What to eat with it
And the cheese?
No dead ends.
Start with this wine and move straight into cheese, or build a whole tasting around it.
Keep exploring
There are 365 more wines where this came from.
Research sources
This profile is researched against producer or similarly authoritative material. Vintage-specific details are kept separate from the permanent wine identity.