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Mt Etna, home of Frank Cornelissen wines

VINE, SEA, SMOKE – a Sicilian wine dinner by Spiga & Dhall & Nash

November 11, 2025

Join us for a memorable evening at Spiga with menu inspired by Sicily’s volcanic soul — where sea and smoke meet in perfect harmony.

Each dish is paired with the uncompromising purity of Frank Cornelissen, a visionary of Mount Etna whose wines express nature in its rawest form.

Tasting Line-up:
  • Frank Cornelissen Susucaru Rosato 2022
    With: Sarde “Beccafico” Sardines, raisins, orange zest & aromatic bread 
  • Frank Cornelissen Munjebel Bianco 2020
    With: Swordfish “Sando”, Sicilian pesto & aubergine 
  • Frank Cornelissen Munjebel Rosso 2021 and
  • Frank Cornelissen Munjebel “MC” Monte Colla Rosso 2019
    With Paccheri “Pastificio Mancini”, tuna tartare & seafood sauce 
  • Frank Cornelissen ‘Magma’ 2020
    With Lamb loin, black pudding, red currants, panelle & jus 
  • Limoncello
    With Almond treats & candied oranges

Frank Cornelissen

Few winemakers have redefined a landscape like Frank Cornelissen has on Mount Etna. Once a Belgian wine trader, he saw in Sicily’s brooding volcano not danger, but possibility — a place where vines could speak for themselves, free from dogma or interference.

Cornelissen’s vineyards cling to Etna’s black, mineral-rich slopes, where bush-trained alberello vines yield meagre yet intensely expressive fruit. Each bunch is meticulously trimmed by hand, the sacrifice of quantity for clarity. His approach rejects every orthodoxy — no chemicals, no biodynamics, no oak — just nature left to its own rhythm.

Fermentation and ageing unfold in inert epoxy-lined vessels, chosen to eliminate even the whisper of external flavour. The result is wine stripped bare of artifice, charged with volcanic tension and uncompromising precision. In a world obsessed with intervention, Cornelissen offers something radical: purity, unfiltered.

If you’d like to learn more, we’ve blogged extensively about this humble icon before, which you can read here:

 

Spiga

SPIGA; Italian [Feminine Noun]
Ear of wheat, Botanical.
The part of the cereal which contains the seed.

“Small restaurant that delivers big feelings. Tucked in Remuera’s fantastic 1050 precinct, Spiga is a hidden trattoria that delivers Italian authenticity with handcrafted flair. Nestled down a quiet laneway in Remuera, this intimate space offers house-made pasta, Roman-style pizza, and seasonal antipasti using regional ingredients.

The design is rustic-chic, with exposed brick, timber accents, and a softly glowing open kitchen. A concise Italian wine list complements the menu, while the relaxed service and multi-course sharing approach feel like home without the nosy aunt. Spiga is where casual elegance and honest cooking intersect beautifully.

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Details

Venue

Organiser

  • Ethan Dawes
  • Phone +64211388933
  • Email ethan@dnfinewine.com