Sicily has no shortage of great wine, but Mt. Etna feels like its own world. The high elevation brings surprisingly cool conditions to an island better known for Mediterranean heat. But the craziest part is the vineyards are on the slopes of an active volcano and the vines grow in black lava soils!
We spent a full day exploring Etna wine country from Taormina, tasting our way around the mountain at Tenuta delle Terre Nere, Planeta and Benanti. Rather than the bigger, riper reds you might associate with Sicily, Etna is known for elegant, restrained reds and incredibly fresh, mineral-driven whites. Here’s what to know, and where to taste.
Mt. Etna Wines // What to Know
What makes Etna so interesting is the combination of volcanic soil, elevation and dramatic differences from one side of the mountain to another. Vineyards can reach more than 1,000 meters in elevation, creating cooler temperatures and significant swings between warm days and cool nights. The soils are equally varied, formed by different lava flows over centuries. Even vineyards sitting relatively close to one another can have completely different soil compositions.
There is also a concept here similar to the cru system you see in places like Burgundy. Etna has 133 recognized “contrade”, which historic vineyard areas distinguished by things like elevation, exposure, climate and geology. Producers increasingly bottle wines from individual contrade to showcase those differences.
It makes Etna a really fun place to taste because the wines can change noticeably as you move around the mountain.
The Reds: Nerello Mascalese
Nerello Mascalese is the star red grape of Etna, sometimes blended with smaller amounts of Nerello Cappuccio.
If you love Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo, there is a good chance you’ll like these wines. They tend to be lighter in color, with red cherry and berry fruit, floral notes, spice, fine tannins and an earthy, mineral quality. They can be elegant rather than heavy, which was one of the things I liked most about them.
The Whites: Carricante
Then there is Carricante, Etna’s signature white grape.
These wines have lots of acidity and freshness, often with citrus, green apple, herbs and a distinctive saline quality. If you gravitate toward bright, mineral-driven whites, these are wines to look for.
Mt. Etna Wines // Where to Taste
Tenuta delle Terre Nere
We started our day on Etna’s northern slope at Tenuta delle Terre Nere, one of the producers that helped bring international attention to the region.
The estate has vineyards spread across nine contrade, ranging from around 600 to 1,000 meters in elevation. Many of its vines are between 50 and 100 years old, with a tiny parcel of pre-phylloxera vines more than 140 years old.
Terre Nere is a particularly good place to understand the idea of contrada. They began vinifying and bottling individual vineyard areas separately from their first harvest in 2002, allowing you to taste how Nerello Mascalese changes from one volcanic site to another.
What to look for:
- Etna Rosso – primarily Nerello Mascalese with a small amount of Nerello Cappuccio; fragrant, fresh and elegant rather than heavy.
- The single-contrada wines – especially fun to taste side-by-side to really understand Etna’s different terroirs.
This was probably our most wine-focused visit of the day and a great introduction to the region.
Planeta Sciaranuova
From Terre Nere we headed to Planeta’s Sciaranuova estate, also on the northern side of Etna. And if you want to combine wine with a beautiful setting, put this one on the list!
The vineyards sit around 850 meters above sea level among ancient lava flows, oak and chestnut woods and olive groves. The property itself is gorgeous, with old stone buildings, lava-stone terraces and one of the prettiest outdoor settings we found on Etna.
We toured the vineyards, tasted Planeta’s wines and olive oils, and then settled in for lunch outside for what they call “The White Lotus Experience.” The same setting was featured in Season 2 of The White Lotus during the group’s wine-tasting excursion on Etna.
What to look for:
- Eruzione 1614 Carricante.The name comes from Etna’s legendary 1614 eruption, which lasted for ten years and stopped just at the edge of these vineyards. It’s fresh and mineral-driven with lemon peel, green apple and more.
Benanti
Our last stop was Benanti, one of Etna’s historic benchmark producers and the place I was most excited to visit for the whites.
Benanti has worked extensively with Carricante and produces wines from several sides of the volcano. Their flagship Pietra Marina Etna Bianco Superiore comes from Carricante grown around 800 meters in Milo on Etna’s eastern slope, where the vineyards are influenced by both the mountain and the Ionian Sea. Some of the vines are more than 90 years old.
What to look for:
- Pietra Marina Etna Bianco Superiore – 100% Carricante, with high acidity, citrus and apple notes and that saline, mineral character I love in a white.
Our tasting also included a spread of small bites – enough that after a long lunch at Planeta and three tastings, dinner back in Taormina suddenly seemed optional!
Don’t Skip the Volcano
One thing I would absolutely build into an Etna wine day: leave time to actually see the volcano. I mentioned it’s an active volcano — it literally erupted less than two months after we were there! You can see Etna from all over Sicily and I loved that the locals call her “a she”.
During our tasting day, we took a scenic detour up to Piano Provenzana, a recommendation from our host at Terre Nere. The landscape changes completely as you climb – the vineyards give way to forests and then stretches of black volcanic rock. Piano Provenzana gets you much closer to Etna and you are literally right in front of her!
You could also route through Zafferana Etnea for beautiful volcano-and-sea views, but if you have the time, I’d choose the drive toward Piano Provenzana for the up-close Etna experience.
If you’re staying in Taormina, I would devote a full day to Mt. Etna wine tasting. Hire a driver, book two or three wineries, include a lunch experience like at Planeta, and make time for a drive higher onto the volcano between tastings.
For more from our trip to Sicily, check out our time in Taormina and beyond.
Cheers!—BB
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