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Una passione tramandata di generazione in generazione.

Una passione tramandata di generazione in generazione.

ETNA

HISTORY

From the point of view of wine, Etna is not Sicily. Etna is another thing.
In fact, by all defined an island within the island or we could also say of a "North in the South". Etna is certainly the spearhead of what is considered the Sicilian wine "continent".
Viticulture in the Etna lands was born with the arrival of the ancient Greeks, in 800 BC, who brought their sapling vines to produce wine (which they called "nectar of the gods") and drink it during banquets, dances or recitations of poems. Since then we have never stopped making wine, on the contrary; in 1435 it was created what was perhaps the first form of winemaking association ever, the "Maestranza dei Vigneri", a guild of farmers that had the purpose of passing on to future generations how to cultivate vineyards and how to produce wine on Etna .

THE TERROIR OF ETNA

The combination of some elements makes Etna wines unique, both in Sicily and in the world:
1) The breezy climate, characterized by strong daily temperature variations, thanks to the simultaneous proximity of the mountains and the sea, which reduces humidity and the risk of potential diseases of the vine. A very particular climate, because it is neither Mediterranean nor mountain, is specific to Etna; the rains are frequent and the temperature ranges are extreme (even 20 degrees of temperature range between day and night can be reached and exceeded during the harvest period). A climate that is greatly affected by the influence of the volcano, which has also stratified and differentiated the soils, which differ according to the antiquity of the lava that has deposited; ventilated soils without water stagnation, with the presence of "allophanic" clay, which has a good capacity to store water. This pedoclimatic context gives wines with rich aromas, high acidity, elegant and complex, wines that can only improve over time.
2) The brightness, with plenty of sun, guarantees excellent ripeness and quality of the grapes.
3) The volcanic soil, rich in iron, copper, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus, with traces of calcium and nitrogen, with a high draining capacity, allows for healthy and dry vineyards.
4) The historicity of the vineyards, often dating back to before the appearance of phylloxera.
5) The autochthonous varieties, cultivated for centuries on all the slopes of the Volcano.

ETNA DOC: THE AREAS OF ETNA

Etna DOC is a denomination obtained in 1968, the first Sicilian Doc of over a thousand hectares of vineyards (today 1184), arranged at altitudes between 300 and 900 meters above sea level, with some points reaching even over 1,100 meters. The "Etna" denomination of controlled origin is reserved for the following wines that meet the conditions and requirements established in this production specification .

- "Etna" white

- “Etna” superior white

- "Etna" red

- “Etna” red reserve

- “Etna” rosé

- "Etna" sparkling wine.

The vineyards of Etna, in particular, are distributed between the north and east, and continue with the south-east and south-west sides:

ETNA: NATIVE VINES

A central role is played by native vines, which only on the slopes of Etna give the best results, which are: Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio among the red grape varieties, Carricante (with Minnella Bianca, even if this is very marginal) between white grapes.

Vines of Etna Rosso and Rosato: Nerello Mascalese and Cappuccio Among the vines of Etna Rosso, Nerello Mascalese is the undisputed champion, even if it is always found in blend with Nerello Cappuccio or Mantellato; it has often been associated with Burgundy Pinot Noir, for its elegance, complexity and delicacy of tannins, as well as for its sensitivity to the single vintage.