Mt Etna is definitely one of the most exciting wine destinations worldwide.
The land around Mt Etna is a large area extending from the furthest slopes of the volcano to its peak. The cultivation grapevine has always played a fundamental role in the area. It dates back to several centuries ago and over the years has typical feature of this area, being a source of income to those inhabitants who have settled at the foothills of the volcano and symbolize the strong human determination to enhance a steep and wild soil which seems to be inapt to be exploited by man. The magnificent terracing realized with stone walls is only an example. These terraces are real works of art whose extraordinariness makes them rare in the world and admired both by Italian and foreign visitors.
The peculiar environment on Mt Etna that mixes the particular climate to the nature, altitude and exposure of the soil has as result the production of special wines.

Nerello Mascalese is the most prized grape in this area. It is late-ripening (harvested in mid-October) with large clusters, large berries, thin skins and is thought to have arrived from ancient Greece, brought to Italy along the same route followed by the mythical hero Odysseus.
NerelloCappuccio is another important Etna variety and some experts believe it is genetically linked to Carignan.
White wines are made primarily from indigenous Carricante and Catarratto.
The d.o.c. wines of the area are: Etna Rosso e Rosato (Red and Rosé Etna) with no less than 80% of Nerello Mascalese and 20% of Nerello Cappuccio or Mantellato; Etna Bianco (White Etna) with a 60% minimum of Carricante and 40% of Cataratto;  Etna Bianco Superiore (Superior White Etna), produced in the territory of the municipality of Milo. The volcano hail further Sicilian and even foreign vines which seem to find in this rich soil a perfect setting for monovarietal or blended wines: Inzolia, Nero d’Avola, Grillo, Frappato, Grecanico andChardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Mondeuse, Syrah, Petit Verdot.

No other wine region in Italy is as exciting as Mt. Etna right now. In just a few years, the number of winemakers on the volcano has doubled. All the important Sicilian producers today are incomplete without an Etna component.
Together with our professional wine instructors and according to your time at disposal and your need you will visit three different quality boutique wineries located on the south-east flank OR on the north side of the volcano, meet wine makers and locals, taste their superb wines, bring some bottles at home as drinkable memento of this unique wine experience!

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