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Volcanic soils come from fire and pressure - literally. They're the product of igneous rocks like basalt, pumice, ash, or tuff breaking down over time through weathering, erosion, and sedimentation. The result is a diverse mix of soils that might look different from site to site, but tend to share a few key traits: high in minerals, low in organic matter, and excellent drainage.

These soils affect everything - from how vines grow to how much they yield and, ultimately, how the wine tastes.

FULL LINEUP:

Domaine Mie Ikeno Chardonnay 2015

Andreas Tscheppe ‘Salamander’ Chardonnay 2020

Oremus Mandolás 2019

Argyros ‘Cuvee Monsignori’ Assyrtiko 2022

Les Bariolés 'Les Chirouzes' Pinot Noir 2022*

Momento Mori Everything is Free 2022

Bien de Altura Ikewen 2022

Cristom ‘Eileen Vineyard’ Pinot Noir 2019

Girolamo Russo Calderara Sottana 2021

*WOTN

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Wines grown on volcanic soils tend to speak with edge. Across regions and varieties, they often show high acidity, firm structure, and a mineral-driven tension - a style shaped as much by elevation and geology as by grape variety. These sites are rarely flat. Slow ripening, low pH soils, and the heat-reflecting nature of volcanic rock all play a role in shaping wines that feel taut, lifted, and textural.

Wine marketing loves to romanticise “volcanic minerality,” but science tells a different story. There’s no direct pathway for soil minerals to end up as flavours in your glass. Instead, what we call “minerality” in volcanic wines likely stems from indirect effects: higher acid retention, natural vine stress, smaller berries, and concentration of flavour precursors.

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Volcanic soils come in many forms, and their physical and chemical makeup can vary wildly depending on the rock they came from. Basalt-based soils - like those on Mount Etna in Sicily or in Oregon’s Willamette Valley - are dense, dark, and packed with iron, magnesium, and calcium. They hold heat well, which helps ripening in cooler zones, and they’re typically nutrient-rich.

Pumice and scoria, on the other hand, are light, porous, and fast-draining. You’ll find them in places like Santorini and parts of New Zealand’s North Island. They don’t hold much water or fertility, but that’s exactly what can make them so useful in high-rainfall regions.

Then there’s tuff - compacted volcanic ash that weathers into crumbly, friable soils high in potassium and silica. Classic examples come from Campania and Soave, where it lends structure and edge to white varieties in particular.

In the vineyard, volcanic these soils often translate to excellent drainage and moderate stress. That means lower vigour, deeper root systems, and smaller berries with thicker skins - conditions that can push phenolic concentration and flavour depth.

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Mie Ikeno is one of Japan’s leading female winemakers and the founder of the winery in Yamanashi Prefecture. After studying enology in France and training in Burgundy, she returned to Japan with a vision to craft elegant, terroir-driven wines from Japanese soil. Her domaine, established in 2003 in the cool, high-altitude village of Kobuchizawa, focuses on Chardonnay, Merlot, and Pinot Noir, all vinified with a restrained, Burgundian sensibility. Ikeno is known for her meticulous vineyard work, minimalist winemaking, and her role in elevating the international reputation of Japanese fine wine.

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Momento Mori is a small, fiercely independent natural wine producer based in Gippsland, Victoria, founded by Dane & Hannah Johns. The project focuses on zero-zero wines made from organically or biodynamically farmed fruit, often sourced from old, dry-farmed vineyards across Victoria. All wines are unfiltered, unfined, and bottled without sulphur, with a strong emphasis on expressing site and variety through minimal intervention. Varietals range from Riesling, Vermentino, and Moscato Giallo to Syrah, Nero d’Avola, and skin-contact whites, often made in tiny batches. Known for their vivid, textural, and highly expressive style, Momento Mori has become a cult favourite in Australia’s natural wine scene and beyond.

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Cristom is a pioneering winery in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, founded in 1992 by Paul Gerrie and now led by his son Tom Gerrie alongside winemaker Daniel Estrin. Cristom is best known for its site-driven Pinot Noir, made from estate vineyards like Jessie, Louise, Eileen, and Marjorie, each planted on volcanic soils with varying exposures and elevations. The approach blends Burgundian sensibility with Oregon character: native fermentations, whole-cluster inclusion, minimal intervention, and a focus on age-worthy structure. The estate also produces standout Chardonnay, Viognier, and Syrah, and is deeply committed to sustainable and biodynamic farming practices. Cristom is widely regarded as one of Oregon’s benchmark Pinot producers.

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Bien de Altura is a boutique winery located in the Canary Islands, focused on reviving the viticultural heritage of La Palma. Working with old, ungrafted vines planted at high elevations on volcanic soils, the project centres on native varieties like Listán Blanco, Listán Negro, and Negramoll. All farming is done organically, and winemaking follows a minimal-intervention philosophy: wild ferments, no fining or filtration, and little to no added sulphur. The wines are known for their tension, salinity, and raw volcanic character - expressive of both altitude and island. Bien de Altura is part of a new wave of Canarian producers redefining what high-altitude, Atlantic-influenced wine can be.

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Andreas Tscheppe is a pioneering natural winemaker based in Styria (Steiermark), Austria, known for producing vibrant, biodynamic wines that express the unique terroir of the region’s steep, mineral-rich hillsides. A member of the Schmecke das Leben ("Taste Life") group alongside other Styrian iconoclasts, Tscheppe farms small vineyard parcels without synthetic chemicals, focusing on Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay (Morillon), Gelber Muskateller, and natural field blends. His wines are often fermented on skins, bottled unfiltered, and defined by purity, energy, and a quiet, almost mystical intensity. Tscheppe is also a beekeeper, and his deep respect for the interconnectedness of vineyard life shows in every bottle.

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Oremus is one of Tokaj’s most respected and internationally recognised estates, owned by Spain’s Vega Sicilia since 1993. The estate produces a full spectrum of Tokaj styles - from dry Furmint to late-harvest and Aszú - with a signature that emphasises purity, balance, and quiet power. Located in the historic heart of Hungary’s most celebrated wine region, Oremus is known for its deep cellars, volcanic soils, and a winemaking philosophy rooted in patience. These are wines that honour Tokaj’s storied past while offering a remarkably clear and contemporary expression of its potential.

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Estate Argyros is one of the most respected and historic wineries on the island of Santorini, Greece, founded in 1903 and now run by fourth-generation winemaker Matthaios Argyros. The estate farms some of the island’s oldest vines - many over 150 years old and ungrafted - planted in Santorini’s distinctive volcanic soils. Argyros is best known for its Assyrtiko, which combines piercing acidity, saline minerality, and age-worthy structure, but also produces exceptional Aidani, Mavrotragano, and Vinsanto. The winemaking blends tradition with precision, resulting in wines that are as intense and elemental as the island itself.

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Les Bariolés is a small, free-spirited project based in the Auvergne, crafting low-intervention wines that wear their origins lightly but with intent. The name - meaning “colourful” or “mismatched” - captures the ethos perfectly: playful blends, fluid styles, and a joyful resistance to categorisation. Working with organically farmed fruit and minimal intervention in the cellar, Claire Freist & Edoardo Veltroni focus on energy, drinkability, and honesty in their wines. They're made to be shared - vibrant, expressive, and always a little offbeat in the best possible way.

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Girolamo Russo is a family-run winery located on the northern slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily, founded by Giuseppe Russo in 2005 to honour his late father, Girolamo. The estate farms old-vine Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio across several high-altitude contrade - including San Lorenzo, Feudo, and Calderara Sottana - on volcanic soils between 600–800 metres above sea level. Viticulture is organic, and the winemaking is gentle and transparent, using native yeasts, large neutral oak, and minimal intervention to express the purity and nuance of Etna’s terroir. Russo’s wines are known for their tension, lifted aromatics, and Burgundian finesse, making the estate one of the key names in the Etna renaissance.

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Blandy’s is one of the most historic and prestigious producers of Madeira, with a winemaking legacy dating back to 1811. Still family-owned and now run by the 7th generation, Chris Blandy, the company is based in Funchal and remains a key guardian of traditional Madeira styles. Blandy’s produces all the classic grape varieties - Sercial, Verdelho, Bual, and Malmsey (Malvasia) - using time-honoured methods like canteiro ageing, where wines mature slowly in oak casks under warm conditions. Known for their precision, longevity, and layered complexity, Blandy’s Madeiras are benchmark expressions of the island’s unique fortified wine tradition.