Azienda Agricola Girolamo Russo
Giuseppe Russo's benchmark Etna Rosso, mostly Nerello Mascalese from old vines on Etna's north slope. Ruby and perfumed: red cherry, plum, leather and volcanic minerality, fresh acidity and fine tannins. A graceful, food-friendly Sicilian red.
A Nerello Mascalese-led red from Giuseppe Russo's old vines across San Lorenzo, Calderara Sottana and Feudo di Mezzo. Vivino's 1,869 reviewers read it as earthy and mineral over red cherry, with the leather and tobacco the producer also notes.
Ruby red and openly perfumed, leading with morello cherry and red plum over leather and tobacco, the aromas Giuseppe Russo lists for 'A Rina. Dried Mediterranean herbs and a violet lift sit behind, with the smoky, mineral signature of Etna's lava soils that Vivino reviewers flag most often.
Violet
Cherry
Plum
Tobacco
Flint
Forest Floor
Leather
LiquoriceMedium-bodied and fresh, built on Nerello Mascalese's high acidity and fine, velvety tannins rather than weight. Red-fruit and savoury, iron-like notes carry a stony minerality from the sandy volcanic soils of the north slope at 650 to 800 metres. Around a year in large Slavonian botti and cement leaves it clean, not oaky.
Long and savoury, closing on dried herbs, tobacco and the salty, volcanic mineral tang that marks Etna's Nerello reds, which keeps 'A Rina fresh to the last sip.
Russo's classic and most available Etna Rosso, a fine introduction to the volcano before its single-contrada bottlings. Vivino's crowd rates it 4.0 across more than 12,000 ratings, with several vintages among the top few percent worldwide. Best from release to about five years on.
Around 40,000 bottles leave Passopisciaro each year, so 'A Rina is the most available wine in the Russo range. Recent UK vintages sit near £21 to £38 across the listings below.
Scores weigh 'A Rina's Nerello Mascalese structure, its roughly £21 to £38 UK range, and Etna Rosso DOC ageing against everyday and occasion use.
Fresh Nerello Mascalese acidity and fine tannin make 'A Rina one of Italy's most food-flexible reds, from Sicilian pasta to grilled meat and aged cheese.
At roughly £21 to £38 for a 92 to 93 point Etna from a benchmark grower, 'A Rina is strong quality for money among single-estate Sicilian reds.
An approachable, clearly varietal Etna Rosso and the estate's entry point, though its mineral, savoury style rewards a little curiosity beyond fruit-forward reds.
Etna's cachet and Russo's reputation give 'A Rina real dinner-party appeal, a notch below the estate's flagship single-contrada reds.
Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our editorial methodology.
A compact view of what the Etna denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
Compare tracked offers from verified retailers at a glance. Stock is shown only where the retailer exposes it. Logos, sale pricing, and the strongest offer are surfaced first.
Etna 2022 was a warm, dry, highly rated growing season; 2023 and 2024 lean fresher and more classic. All three are Nerello Mascalese from vines aged 20 to 100 years at 650 to 800 metres.
A bright, perfumed young vintage. The 2024 'A Rina leads with red cherry and floral lift and is best enjoyed in its fresh, early years.
2023 was more challenging across Sicily, with mildew pressure and lower yields, but Etna's altitude preserved freshness. Expect a leaner, more classic 'A Rina to enjoy in its first several years.
A warm, dry 2022 growing season balanced by good winter rainfall gave a ripe yet fresh Etna vintage, widely rated among the best of the decade. 'A Rina is structured here, with the best mid-term cellar potential of the three.
Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.
The fruit grows on sandy soils from ancient lava flows on Etna's north slope. Spontaneous fermentation and roughly a year in large Slavonian botti and cement keep the wine fresh rather than oaky.
Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.
Etna is in the DOC tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.
Etna falls within Sicily , covering Sicily.
Giuseppe Russo's 'A Rina draws on old Nerello in San Lorenzo, Calderara Sottana and Feudo di Mezzo at 650 to 800 metres; low-yielding mountain fruit is the main cost behind the £21 to £38 price.
Hand-picking in late October on Etna's terraced sciare, where machines cannot reach, adds labour that flat-vineyard Sicilian reds avoid.
'A Rina rests around twelve months in big Slavonian casks and cement, then six months in bottle, tying up stock and cellar space across more than 18 months.
Organically farmed fruit and spontaneous native-yeast fermentation raise vineyard and cellar risk versus conventional, cultured-yeast winemaking.
At about 40,000 bottles 'A Rina is by far Russo's largest cuvee, which holds its price well below the single-contrada reds that run past £60.
UK alcohol duty of £2.67 a bottle plus 20% VAT account for several pounds of a typical £25 to £30 shelf price before the wine itself is counted.
Dishes that complement this wine
'A Rina's bright acidity and savoury, mineral edge favour Sicilian and meat-led plates. Vivino drinkers most often pour it with beef, lamb and pasta; Russo's own list points to mushroom risotto and aged cheese.
Nerello Mascalese keeps the high, fresh acidity that cuts tomato and ricotta salata. 'A Rina's mineral edge echoes the volcanic soils Sicilian cooking grew up on, so it frames pasta alla Norma without fighting the aubergine.
Try with: Pasta alla Norma · Sfincione, Sicilian Pizza · Pizza Marinara · More pairings →
Fine, velvety tannins and bright acidity slice the fat and gelatine of slow-cooked lamb and beef. The wine's savoury, leathery side mirrors the braise rather than masking it.
Try with: Agnello Ragu Lucano · Brasato al Barolo · Agnello Cacio e Ova · More pairings →
Medium body and fresh acidity lift charred, fatty cuts off the palate, while the firm but fine tannin handles a rare Fiorentina. Etna Rosso's freshness keeps each bite clean.
Try with: Fiorentina steak · Brasato al Barolo · Agnello Ragu Lucano · More pairings →
'A Rina's earthy, mineral character, the trait Vivino reviewers name most, bridges to porcini and truffle. The red-cherry fruit keeps an earthy dish from turning heavy.
Try with: Porcini mushroom risotto · Truffle risotto · Radicchio risotto · More pairings →
Fresh acidity and a salty, mineral finish meet the crystalline salt of aged pecorino, each sharpening the other. A medium-bodied red like this keeps a hard cheese from coating the palate.
Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · aged pecorino · ricotta salata · More pairings →
'A Rina is about freshness and finesse, not power. Bird's-eye chilli heat scorches its delicate red fruit, and a wine this fine is lost against heavily oaked, high-alcohol cooking. Keep it for savoury, herb-led plates instead.
Skip with: Vindaloo · Szechuan beef · Crispy chilli beef · Sweet and sour pork · Pairing guide →
Built to drink young, 'A Rina can rest five years or more. The 2022, from a structured Etna vintage, has the best mid-term upside; 2023 and 2024 reward earlier drinking.
Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.
A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.
Built to drink young with five to eight years of upside in stronger vintages like 2022; this is the classic 'A Rina, not Russo's age-worthy single-contrada reds.
£21.35 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.
Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 30 May 2026, 15:34 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.
Confidence · HighDrawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino and Wine-Searcher, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.
Confidence · MediumFrom the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.
Confidence · HighOur reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.
Confidence · MediumStyle guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.
Confidence · Medium'A Rina is roughly 90% Nerello Mascalese with 10% Nerello Cappuccio, Etna's two native red grapes. The fruit comes from old vines in the contrade of San Lorenzo, Feudo, Calderara Sottana and Feudo di Mezzo on the volcano's northern slope.
It is well regarded. Vivino averages 4.0 across more than 12,000 ratings, and the wine has drawn 92 to 93 point scores from Gambero Rosso, Veronelli and Slow Wine. It is the estate's classic, most accessible Etna Rosso.
Ruby and perfumed, with red cherry and plum, leather, tobacco and a stony, volcanic minerality. The palate is medium-bodied and fresh, with fine, velvety tannins and a savoury, lingering finish.
Its acidity and fine tannin suit Sicilian pasta alla Norma, porcini risotto, lamb ragu, grilled red meat and aged pecorino. Vivino drinkers most often pair it with beef, lamb and pasta.
It drinks well on release but can rest five years or more. The structured 2022 has the most mid-term potential; the fresher 2023 and 2024 are best enjoyed younger.
Yes. Giuseppe Russo farms the vineyards organically and bottles 'A Rina at the family estate in Passopisciaro, on Etna's north side. Around 40,000 bottles are made each year.
Planeta
3 retailers
From
£19.00
Girolamo Russo
2 retailers
From
£46.90
Tenuta delle Terre Nere
2 retailers
From
£23.27
Graci
2 retailers
From
£52.00
Affiliate disclosure. Some links above are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Editorial coverage, ratings and tasting notes are written independently and a retailer cannot pay to be listed or to be ranked higher.
How retailer prices are sourced.
Prices and stock are read from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Outbound buy links carry rel="nofollow sponsored noopener". The list is sorted by price; we do not accept payment for placement.
What we will never do. Imply we tasted a bottle when we didn’t. Imply stock when a retailer is out. Imply independence on links that are paid affiliate links.
Verified retailers
Price comparison
Updated daily
