📍 Etna
The slopes of an active volcano with high vineyards.
Etna is an active volcano in eastern Sicily and the highest active volcano in Europe. Vineyards surround the mountain on the east, north and south and climb from 450 to 1,100 metres and beyond. It is one of the most mountainous wine zones of Italy: days are warm, nights cold, and the soil is black volcanic sand and ash built up from lava of different centuries.
The Etna DOC was created in 1968 and was the first in Sicily. Red wines (Etna Rosso) are made from Nerello Mascalese, often with Nerello Cappuccio. They are pale in colour, high in acidity, with scents of red berries and smoke, which is why they are compared with Burgundy and Barolo. Whites (Etna Bianco) are based on Carricante, giving a fresh wine with minerality and citrus. Rosé and sparkling wines are also made.
The vines are old, often individual bush vines on narrow terraces. Estates divide the land into “contrade”, plots marked by lava flows from different eruptions.
For comparison with its neighbours: west of Etna lies the rest of Sicily, hotter and with more wines from Catarratto and Nero d'Avola, and across the strait on the mainland, Calabria.
How it connects to Wine
📍 Etna ← grows in ← 🍇 Catarratto → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 📍 Sicily
- Related to
- 🍷 Buonora, 🍷 Contrada Sciaranuova Bianco, 🍷 Ghiaia Nera, 🍷 Contrada Pianodario, 🍷 Contrada Rampante, 🍷 Contrada Sciaranuova, 🍷 Contrada Sciaranuova Vigna Vecchia, 🍷 Still wine, 🍷 Sparkling wine
- Grapes
- 🍇 Minnella Bianca, 🍇 Nerello Mascalese, 🍇 Nerello Cappuccio, 🍇 Carricante, 🍇 Catarratto
- Main grapes
- 🍇 Nerello Mascalese, 🍇 Nerello Cappuccio, 🍇 Carricante
- Wines
- 🍷 Red wine, 🍷 White wine, 🍷 Rosé
- In other topics
- 📜 Monte Etna (olive oil)
Frequently asked questions
Which grapes make the wines of Etna?
Reds from Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, whites from Carricante.
What are contrade on Etna?
Small plots that differ in soil and the age of the lava. Wines from them are treated as separate.
Why are Etna wines compared with Burgundy?
They are pale in colour, high in acidity and smell of red berries, like Pinot Noir.
What to read next
- 🍷 Buonora — Buonora: white wine by Tasca d'Almerita from the Tascante estate on the northern slope of Etna; Etna DOC Bianco.
- 📜 Monte Etna (olive oil) — An EU protected designation of origin for extra virgin olive oil from the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily; at least 65 % of the olives are Nocellara Etnea.
- 🍇 Minnella Bianca — A white grape from Sicily, grown near Etna.
- 🍷 White wine — Wine made from grape juice without the skins; it can come from pale and even dark berries.
- 🍷 Still wine — Wine without noticeable bubbles: EU category 1, at least 8.5–9 % actual alcohol and no more than 15 % total; red, white, rosé or orange.
Similar
📍 Pantelleria · 📍 Marsala (Western Sicily) · 📍 Vittoria · 📜 Alcamo · 📜 Riesi · 📜 Valle Belice
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.
What it includes
Sources
- Ministero dell'agricoltura (MASAF)
- eAmbrosia – EU geographical indications register
- eAmbrosia – EU geographical indications register