Italy–Volcanic soils

In his award winning Volcanic Wines book, John Szabo MS (2016, p.150) points out that Italy is one of the most volcanically active wine producing countries, and contains mainland Europe’s only active volcanoes, Vesuvius and Campi Flegrei in Campania on the mainland, plus island volcanoes such as Etna (Sicily) and the island of Vulcano itself, origin of the western world’s term for volcano. Italy’s volcanism arises from being near the boundary between the Eurasian and African tectonic plates which have ‘pushed up the Alps and the Apennines’, causing ‘chain of volcanism of every kind, from effusive to explosive from Soave to Sicily.’ Szabo also makes the point about how ‘phylloxera-free volcanic soils have helped preserve Italy’s unparalleled collection of indigenous grapes.’