Frank Cornelissen & Susucaru: A Producer Guide
Natural & Organic Wine · Producer spotlight
Frank Cornelissen is a Belgian-born winemaker who settled on the north slope of Mount Etna in Sicily in 2000 and became one of the most influential natural winemakers in the world. His wines, from the cult rosato Susucaru to the Nerello Mascalese-based Munjebel and the single-vineyard Magma, are made from old vines on volcanic soil with as little intervention as possible.
Susucaru is one of our best-selling wines. Here's the story behind it and how to get the most from every Cornelissen bottle.
Frank Cornelissen at Harvest
Who is Frank Cornelissen?
Before he made wine, Cornelissen worked in the wine trade and spent years tasting old, traditional wines. He moved to Etna in 2000 and made his first vintage in 2001, buying and renting small plots of old vines around the village of Solicchiata in the commune of Castiglione di Sicilia. At the time, Etna was a sleepy, overlooked region. Today it's one of Italy's most sought-after, and Cornelissen is one of the reasons.
His approach is to farm the whole ecosystem, avoid synthetic treatments and intervene as little as possible in the cellar. Grapes ferment with native yeasts, wines age in neutral vessels such as epoxy-lined tanks rather than new oak, and he fines nothing and filters lightly, if at all. He labels his wines Terre Siciliane IGT rather than Etna DOC, which gives him freedom in how he makes them.
Why is Mount Etna so special for wine?
Etna is Europe's tallest active volcano, and its vineyards climb from about 400 to over 1,000 meters. That altitude brings cool nights and long, slow ripening under the Sicilian sun. The soils are layers of volcanic ash and lava of different ages, and growers divide the slopes into historic contrade, a little like Burgundy's named vineyards. Many vines are very old, some ungrafted, trained as free-standing bushes. The main red grape, Nerello Mascalese, makes wines often compared to Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo: pale, perfumed and firm. Our guide to Mount Etna DOC and Terre Siciliane IGP goes deeper.
What is Susucaru?
Susucaru is Cornelissen's rosato: a dark pink, almost light-red field blend of Nerello Mascalese with the local white grapes Malvasia, Moscadella and Catarratto. The grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed and fermented with a native-yeast starter, with about ten days of skin contact, then aged in neutral tanks. It drinks like a savory chillable red: wild strawberry, sour cherry, blood orange, dried flowers and a salty, volcanic finish.
What are Cornelissen's other wines?
| Wine | What it is |
|---|---|
| Susucaru | Rosato field blend; the easiest entry point |
| Munjebel Rosso | Nerello Mascalese from several north-facing contrade, made since 2001; his signature red |
| Munjebel single-contrada reds | Nerello from individual vineyards, showing Etna's site differences |
| Munjebel Bianco | Skin-contact white from local grapes such as Grecanico and Carricante |
| Magma | His top red, from very old vines in a single high-altitude vineyard; rare and collectible |
How should you serve and store Cornelissen wines?
Treat them like fine natural wine. Store them cool and dark, around 55°F. Serve Susucaru lightly chilled and the reds at cellar temperature, about 60°F, in a large glass. Munjebel benefits from an hour of air, and a magnum ages beautifully for a decade or more. Because they're unfined and lightly filtered, stand older bottles upright for a day and pour gently.
What should you drink if you love Susucaru?
Look for other chillable, savory reds and dark rosés: Frappato from Vittoria, cru Beaujolais, Jura Poulsard or a light Grenache. Our guide to chillable red wines has more ideas, and the natural wine guide introduces other producers who share Cornelissen's philosophy.
FAQ
What kind of wine is Susucaru?
Susucaru is a dark rosato from Frank Cornelissen on Mount Etna, a field blend of Nerello Mascalese with Malvasia, Moscadella and Catarratto. It drinks like a light, savory chillable red.
Is Frank Cornelissen natural wine?
Yes. He farms without synthetic treatments, ferments with native yeasts, avoids new oak, does not fine and filters lightly, which places him among the best-known natural producers.
Should Susucaru be chilled?
Yes, lightly. Serve it at about 55 to 58°F: 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge from room temperature.
What grape is Munjebel?
Munjebel Rosso is made from Nerello Mascalese, Etna's main red grape, from old vines on the volcano's north slope.
Start with Susucaru, then follow the volcano to Munjebel. Shop Frank Cornelissen →
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Header photo: Samir Kharrat on Unsplash
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