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MOUNT ETNA ERUPTION THREATENS WINE ESTATES

Published:  23 July, 2008

By Michele Shah

Barone Scamacca del Murgo estate, located at the foothills of Mount Etna at Santa Venerina, has been badly damaged by the recent earth tremors, which registered four on the Richter scale, following an eruption of Europe's most active volcano on Sunday 27 October. The eruptions were followed by a spill of molten lava which descended both the northern and southern slopes. We haven't fully assessed the damage,' said Michle Scamacca, but the tremors have caused considerable damage to our estate. The winery roof has fallen in and my parents' house on the property has been severely damaged. Many of the roads are inaccessible and the vines are covered by a thick layer of ash, which continues to descend.' On the northern side, lava beds advanced towards the town of Linguaglossa, just above the vines of Giovanni Scilio's 20 hectare Tenuta Scilio di Valle Galfina estate. A tongue of lava is slowly descending and solidifying three kilometres above our estate and vines,' said Scilio. It is difficult to predict what will happen next.'

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