It has been three hectic days in which the island of Lanzarote has brought together scientists, producers, chefs and sommeliers to reflect on the influence of volcanoes on gastronomy. Worldcanic closed its third edition this Thursday with the testimony of professionals from Sicily, the guest territory of the congress, and several wine tastings that allow us to trace the identifying features of wines from volcanic territories. “It shows that the volcano not only influences the soil, but also the people, and that is precisely the philosophy of this meeting – Benjamín Lana assured at the closing – to connect these lines of fighters capable of moving forward” and provide a gastronomy so rich and varied in places where the earth spits fire.
Because if something has become clear in this quote, it is that, although there are common features that connect Lanzarote, Sicily, La Garrotxa, the Rift or the island of Reunion, each town finds different ways to adapt to its reality. The Master of Wine Rodrigo Mora explained it, glass in hand, during a tasting on so-called volcanic wines. «It is a very fashionable label – he acknowledged – but it is very complicated to define a wine as volcanic because they respond to an enormous diversity of landscapes, varieties and elaborations, which make a wine from Oregon look nothing like one from Australia or one of Lanzarote.
Mora chose five examples to portray this very heterogeneous panorama. A jiano from Campania, a chardonnay from Oregon, an eccentric Dr Mayer from Yarra Valley, in Australia, and two Canarian wines, the first from Taganana, the Tienrfe winery that has just won the first 100 Parker points from the Canary Islands and another from Lanzarote, a malvasía from Juan Bello. The wines had little to do with each other, but the sommelier ended up finding a common thread, the saline, very sapid texture common to all of them. “Those sulfur aromas that some want to see as an influence of volcanic activity have more to do with a reduction that is generated during production,” he explained to demystify one of the most widespread commonplaces.
The two Sicilian springs
It was not the only wine tasting of a day dedicated to paying tribute to Sicily, a guest territory of this edition. Sommelier Alessandro Limongelli presented wines made in the surroundings of Etna that he serves at W Villadorata Country Restaurant, by chef Viviana Varese. Both explained how the influence of the largest volcano on the island is felt in their gastronomic proposal. “It is a land with a very intense light and energy, it is not an easy place, but it is fascinating,” explained the chef when presenting a presentation focused on citrus fruits that grow profusely in Sicilian agriculture. Chef Accursio Craparo also delved into the particularities of the island that marks the center of the Mediterranean: «We have two springs, the one we all know in March, and the true Sicilian spring, in autumn, when after the summer drought the first rains bring an incredible natural exuberance.
This influx of landscapes “that are exciting but at the same time scary” was the topic of the intervention by volcanologist Llorenç Planaguma, scientific director of the La Garrotxa geopark. “The soils that surround the volcanoes are usually acidic and very rich in minerals. If the rainfall is good, they can become very fertile and have a particularity: they slightly sweeten the fruits, which is usually highly appreciated in gastronomy,” explained the expert. Hence, since the beginning of time, humans have chosen to settle in these environments that are as dangerous as they are attractive. As an example, some of the spectacular images of the island of Reunion that the volcanologist Patrice Huet presented at a conference that has accentuated his international profile in this edition.
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