An Eruption of Fine Wine on Mount Etna

BY ERIC GUIDO | MAY 29, 2025

In last year's article, “Unveiling the Diverse Palette of Sicily, New Releases and Beyond,” I wrote, “Mark my words, the day Mount Etna receives its own individual coverage, much like the regions of Piedmont, Montalcino and Burgundy, will soon be upon us. The progress I’ve witnessed in the past decade is nothing short of amazing.” Well, that day has come. Frankly, I’m surprised it’s taken this long. Having gained its initial recognition through Etna Rosso and now even more so through Etna Bianco, Mount Etna has established itself as one of the world’s foremost viticultural areas.

Etna’s complex division of contrade and diverse terroirs make it a treasure trove of site-specific wines. The Etna DOC, which accounts for Rosso, Bianco and Rosato, spans elevations from 450 meters up to 1,200 meters in the south and 800 meters in the north, with unique soils and mineral deposits created by millennia of lava flows. To this day, constant volcanic activity results in varying degrees of ash and volcanic stone deposits across the entire region. The Etna DOC covers the volcano's north, south and east sides, yet not the west side, due to a history of active lava flows that regularly destroyed vineyards in the area.

Nerello Mascalese is the king of the north. This side of the volcano is warm, with a cooling influence from the Nebrodi and Peloritani Mountains. It’s also the historical center of Etna’s fine red wine production. In the east, Carricante takes center stage. The mix of generally wet conditions and cooler temperatures prevents winemakers from rearing notable reds, but it’s a perfect environment for whites. The south is a warmer area with southern exposures where vineyards reach elevations up to 1,200 meters. Both Nerello Mascalese and Carricante thrive here, yielding wines with rounder, richer fruit profiles. Though some might argue that wines of the south lacked importance historically, current producers like Benanti and Idda (Gaja’s project in partnership with Alberto Graci) prove the area’s mettle. With vineyards outside the 800-meter DOC limit on the north slope, producers often bottle these wines under the lesser classification Terre Siciliane because the fruit comes from elevations above the legal limit. Many of these sites did not perform well before the onset of global warming, such as those in Contrada Barbabecchi and Contrada Sciaranuova. Even today, a cool vintage can produce underripe fruit at these high elevations. But when the fruit does ripen, the results can be spellbinding.

Velvety dunes of ash at the Porcaria vineyard in Contrada Fuedo di Mezzo.

Mount Etna's grand scale is hard to quantify, but luckily, the region began developing an organizational structure in 1960s during the inception of the Etna DOC, now totaling 142 individual contrade. The term contrada is best described as a neighborhood of vineyards in a general location, sharing similar elevations yet a multitude of distinct soil types. It’s not a perfect system, but it is an excellent stepping stone in the right direction that provides winemakers and consumers with a useful tool to understand a wine’s sense of place. 

A deeper knowledge of individual lava flows and attributes of single vineyards would significantly help the region take things to the next level. I like to use the well-known Contrada Feudo di Mezzo as an example. Feudo di Mezzo is a large contrada considered roughly homogeneous, but it is in fact marked by soils from two distinct lava flows from 1879 and 1646. Within Feudo di Mezzo, the Porcaria vineyard (made famous by Passopisciaro) is defined by fine volcanic dust formed by a small stream that flooded over a frail sheet of lava. When the stream receded, it left behind a pillowy soil that seems almost otherworldly in texture. Contrada Rampante is another interesting example. Rampante consists of a large, narrow swath of land that starts around 650 meters in elevation and then climbs as high as 1,000 meters. The soils are generally homogenous volcanic sand. However, the importance of single vineyards becomes apparent when one considers the massive elevation climb and multiple clos (stoned-off sections with distinct soils), such as Pietradolce's Barbagalli vineyard. Barbagalli has the same sandy volcanic soils, but also contains a large percentage of calcareous stones.

The Barbagalli vineyard within Contrada Rampante, on the north side of Mount Etna.

The future of Mount Etna’s wines depends on producers and consumers gaining a deeper understanding of these unique places. Fortunately, winemakers continue to study and uncover these terroirs and name them specifically on labels. The next step is mapping the region beyond contrade and lava flows, which I’ve been assured remains an ongoing process. This region loves its maps.

A Brief History Lesson

It’s essential to look to the past to understand how the modern-day Mount Etna came to be, as well as its current dynamics. The area boasts a winemaking history that goes back thousands of years. An explosion of vineyards in the 9th century saw the planting of over 90,000 hectares across the area, owned primarily by noble families and farmed through sharecropping mezzadria. This thriving industry continued until the end of the 19th century, when phylloxera decimated over 80% of the vines. The scarcity of grafting material and the persistent volcanic eruptions led many to abandon their vineyards. The establishment of the Etna DOC in 1968 (one of the first in Italy) recorded 40,000 surviving hectares at a time when winemaking in the area focused primarily on bulk production for shipping north and overseas, as well as producing easy-drinking reds for locals. This industry fell apart in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It’s incredible to consider that there are only about 1,200 hectares under vine today.

The barrel room at Pietradolce.

When winemakers like Frank Cornelissen, Marco de Grazia, Andrea Franchetti and Alberto Graci arrived in the early 2000s, they found abandoned vineyards on the north slope full of overgrown foliage and collapsing stone terraces enshrouding ungrafted, often century-old bush vines. These vineyards reached elevations up to 800 meters, but more were discovered at even higher locations. One can only imagine the spark of inspiration that struck the early pioneers of Etna’s modern-day revival. Even now, walking these vineyards feels like a scene from the movie Labyrinth or a Tolkien landscape in Middle Earth. Winemakers continue to uncover forgotten vines to this day, but it’s a long and painstaking recovery process for these vineyards. As a result, many wineries have decided to construct new terraces and plant new vineyards to take advantage of Mount Etna’s terroir. The potential for expansion is high, but the environment remains rugged and challenging. An Etna winemaker’s livelihood depends on an active volcano and Mother Nature's will. 

The Potential of Rosso and Bianco

Etna Rosso, a blend of Nerello Mascalese with smaller amounts of Nerello Cappuccio, was the first Etna wine to capture consumers’ attention. Etna Rosso’s capacity to gracefully articulate depth of fruit with finesse often draws comparisons to Burgundy, while its power and ability to age elicit comparisons to Barolo. Moreover, Nerello Mascalese has a fantastic ability to communicate a sense of place. As for Nerello Cappuccio, its importance is waning, but Benanti’s rare, varietal Nerello Cappuccio is still one of the region’s hidden gems. Nerello Cappuccio may not be trendy, but according to Benanti, it’s their first wine to sell out in every vintage. 

Today, winemakers express even more excitement over the future of Etna Bianco (typically  100% Carricante) and Etna Bianco Superiore, centered around the commune of Milo. As Etna Rosso gained popularity, many producers began experimenting with Carricante. Tenuta delle Terre Nere did a fantastic job of introducing international consumers to these wines, crafting successful Burgundian-style whites from the northern slope. However, with time, the eastern slopes of the region proved to be the ideal location for growing white varieties. The town of Milo and its surrounding vineyards share a similar history with the northern slope, but the focus here is on white grapes, as generations of winemakers realized that the area is too cold to ripen Nerello Mascalese. From a traditional standpoint, the white Catarratto variety also deserves a mention. The original Etna Bianco style mixed Carricante with Catarratto to balance minerality and sweet fruit, but modern-day interpretations eschew Catarratto.

The Iuppa vineyards, near the village of Milo, just a few kilometers from the Ionian Sea.

As for Etna Bianco Superiore, readers will find that vine age isn’t as much a predictor of quality as location and terroir. Many of the Superiore plantings around Milo were established only in the last decade. Winemakers are betting on Etna Bianco Superiore outpacing Etna Rosso as the region’s top category. While the best Bianco Superiores show remarkable quality, depth and ageability, it will be a long time before I’m convinced that the majority of them will reach those levels. On top of that, Etna Rosso’s days are far from over. 

The Constant State of Evolution

Several changes to the Etna DOC will take effect in the coming years, including the introduction of an official sparkling category. Many winemakers throughout Etna experiment with sparkling wine produced using Metodo Classico, currently labeled as Vino Spumante. Carricante’s crisp acidity lends well to the process. I’ve tasted many of these wines that move the needle, including offerings from Antichi Vinai, Benanti and Tenute Nicosia. But it doesn't end with Carricante. Nerello Mascalese also produces a compelling Sparkling Rosé. The Iuppa winery in Milo, a proponent of red varieties on the eastern side of Etna, found that the colder climate in the area is perfect for attaining a more perfumed, high-acid profile from Nerello Mascalese, which is ideal for sparkling wine production. Also, in the north, Renato de Bartoli of DBE - De Bartoli Etna is doing great things with sparkling wine using Nerello Mascalese from Contrada Rampante. This is just the beginning of a category I expect to be wildly successful. 

Another development here is the Etna DOC’s approval of the use of place names on labels as they explore the idea of village designates. The day may soon come when we can taste an Etna Rosso Castiglione di Sicilia and an Etna Rosso Randazzo side by side to compare their unique attributes. This should bring Etna even closer to the Barolo or Burgundy paradigm. This level of specificity would be a revelation for terroir geeks like myself. My biggest issue with the DOC is the 800-meter elevation limit on the north side of Etna, which excludes many of the area's most dramatic and oldest vineyards. Unfortunately, winemakers across Etna assure me that this would be the most challenging change to pass through the DOC for “political reasons.” If the DOC decides to open the borders in one direction, the fear is that other producers could convince the DOC to also include inferior locations. 

Resurrected stone terraces in Planeta’s Etna vineyards.

Vintage Talk

One important reason behind separating Mount Etna into its own article is the ability to properly break down vintages apart from the rest of Sicily. Sicily is more like a continent than an island, shaped by multiple climatic influences from all directions. With mountains in the north, the Ionian Sea to the east, and warm winds blowing up from Africa affecting the south, Mount Etna is its own world. These distinctions merit separate vintage discussions. For example, in the 2014 vintage, Etna excelled while the rest of Sicily suffered.

The current topic of conversation across Etna is the 2023 vintage. Most winemakers have either just finished bottling their 2023 or are preparing to bottle them now. Many producers are less excited about the 2023s than I am. In my visit with Frank Cornelissen, he was hesitant to taste his 2023s with me, remarking that he wasn’t sure whether he would even bottle most of them. We followed our conversation with a tasting through nearly all of the fiberglass tanks housing the nascent 2023s. What I found, and Cornelissen agreed, was that the 2023s are far more interesting and balanced than he initially suspected. People across the region hold mixed opinions about the year. Some winemakers love them. Some didn’t have enough juice to bottle them, like Girolamo Russo, who only made one Etna Rosso and nothing else. Most seem almost fearful of how markets will perceive the wines. I believe this is unwarranted. The issue with the 2023s lies not only in their limited quantities but also in their unusually perfumed and playful personalities. If winemakers handled them properly in the cellar, such as limiting extraction with shorter macerations and gentle pump-overs, followed by nonaggressive barrel refinement, then they were rewarded with exotic yet excellent wines. However, this assumes that a winemaker had healthy fruit to harvest at the end of the season. 

In Contrada Feudo with Dante Pasqua of Girolamo Russo.

In 2023, spring rains totaling around 400 mm led to a decimating outbreak of downy mildew that reduced crops by up to 70% on the north side of Etna. The east largely escaped this damage, which explains the higher quality of the 2023 white wines. These wet spring conditions gave way to a warm and drought-stricken summer. This created thicker skins and uneven ripening throughout the bunches, as many vines shut down due to hydric stress. Ultimately, a small amount of rain in September and perfect conditions through October saved the vintage from total disaster. However, healthy bunches were not a guarantee. Uneven ripening necessitated a berry-by-berry approach during selection. Some wineries have the resources to pull this off easily, while many others struggled or simply failed.

Those that succeeded made some of the most exotic yet finessed and elegant wines imaginable, more like Cru Beaujolais than Burgundy in style. Readers should be highly selective when choosing 2023s as they appear in the market over the coming year. Most of what’s available right now are late-release 2021s and the current-release 2022s, which are showing beautifully. 

The decomposition of volcanic rock and organic matter slowly creates the soils of tomorrow.

The 2022s offer an abundance of early satisfaction. They are rich in fruit concentration, tannins and alcohol, creating a balance that leans toward opulence, further embellished by lower overall acidity. Mount Etna experienced a warm winter without snow to help build water supplies for the coming season. Rain arrived in early spring, resulting in a delayed bud break. May continued with above-average temperatures, followed by a heat wave in June and drought conditions. Temperatures stabilized through the summer, but the dry weather persisted until late August. September was warm but never hot, and the silver lining arrived in October, with balanced precipitation and cooler temperatures that allowed Nerello Mascalese and Carricante vines to reach balanced ripeness before harvest. One notable issue was a lack of significant diurnal shifts, which may be the reason for slightly lower acidities across the board. 

I tasted the wines for this report in Etna and in our New York City office in March 2025.

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