Nature in its most
radical expression
MORPHOLOGY

HISTORY
Millennia of heroic viticulture
DISCOVER THE WINES
133 Contrade, terraces and century-old vineyards
The Etna terroir is home to some of the oldest vineyards in Italy, some even more than a century old. Thanks to the volcanic soils, it has made the vines immune to phylloxera. These ancient vineyards are often ungrafted, which means they are not grafted onto an American rootstock. The vineyards represent a heritage of inestimable value and produce grapes with the purest qualities of their own varieties.
On top of this, even the vine cultivation system has ancient and unique aspects. Although some vines are trained with modern spurred cordon or Guyot systems. The most used method however is the traditional training system of the gobolet, with bush vines that climb on the volcano slopes helped by the black lava stone terraces.
The four volcano slopes
The Northern slope is the area with the highest number of producers, and the one with the gentlest slopes. The climate is cold, but protected by the surrounding mountain ranges of Peloritani and Nebrodi. The most cultivated variety is the red Nerello Mascalese.
The Eastern slope overlooks the Ionian Sea and is the most exposed to rain and winds. The bush vines are cultivated on small terraces, up to 900 metres above sea level. On this mountain side the white grape Carricante is dominant.
The South-Eastern slope has several eruptive cones, which are now all extinct. The numerous vineyards, are often trained as bush vines (i.e. gobelet vine training), which allows them to be kissed by the sun and sea breezes. The Nerello Mascalese and Carricante varieties grow here in ideal conditions and easily reach perfect ripeness.
The South-Western slope is the furthest from the sea and, therefore, characterised by a strong temperature range. This area has less rain, beaten by hot winds and also a great solar intensity. The cultivations of the red Nerello Cappuccio and the white Carricante find excellent conditions and can exceed 1000 metres above sea level.