white grape · rare
Minella Bianco
Mount Etna foothills, Catania province, Sicily, Italy
Say it
mee·nel·lahbyahn·kah
VIVC-canonical spelling is Minnella Bianca (double-n); the -ella ending rhymes with 'bella'; Bianca is the feminine form, though single-n 'Bianco' appears widely in English sources
On the palate
fennelcinnamongreen applepearwhite peachwet stone
How you spot it blind: anise-fennel aromatics with bright high acidity on volcanic Etna soils
The story
First written down · 1760, Mount Etna foothills, Sicily
First described in 1760 by Domenico Sestini growing in Etna's foothills; registered in Italy's National Catalogue of Vine Varieties on 25 May 1970.
Where it lives
Mount Etna, Sicily (Italy) · Province of Enna, Sicily (Italy)
Shows up as
still whiteEtna Bianco DOC
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Also answers to Minella Bianca, Minnella.