ETNA DOC
Download the HiRes version (for personal use or presentations)
Etna is a special wine region. Actually, it is just a magical region overall and has so much to offer beyond wine. This write-up is in no way comprehensive; I could dedicate this entire site and shop to Etna and its wines. For a more in-depth, but light and pleasurable, reading on Etna wines, you can check out the book by Ben Spencer: The New Wines of Mt. Etna. Much of my ability to speak about Etna with such detail is due to Ben and his enthusiasm for sharing his knowledge of the area.
Much of my interest and affection for Etna is due to Ciro and Stef Biondi, who took me in for the 2018 Etna harvest. Their wines will make an appearance in the shop, no doubt, as not only are they delicious, but also because the Biondi deserve much credit in reviving winemaking on Etna.
BEFORE YOU GET INTO IT:
Largest→ smallest
Region (think of it like a State)→ Province (think of it like a County. Sometimes a city also takes on the name of the county. For example, in the state of California there is Alameda County and the city of Alameda)→ Commune (think of it like a City. In Italy, most Communes have a historical center/ town --it’s like their downtown. There’s a center and there are the outskirts)→ Contrada ( think of it like a neighborhood, Cru if we were speaking in French terms)→vineyard name
The Map: Communes & Contrade
Etna is in the Province of Catania in the region of Sicily. The wine production zone touches 20 communes within Catania. Within these communes there are Contrade, the Italian (more specifically, Sicilian) term for cru. Within these Contrade, are multiple and various vineyards. Sometimes a grapegrower/winemaker/winery will own an entire vineyard, and other times, they may own only a part of the vineyard and share proprietorship with another.
The West side of the volcano is not part of the DOC. It’s just not a viticultural zone anymore, despite historically being so in its ancient hey-days. These communes are better known for other agricultural products, such as the commune of Bronte and its famed pistacchio. The West side is actually rather underdeveloped and a stark contrast to the rest of the volcano and really makes one ponder the economic power of wine agriculture— a blog post for another day.
Etna Communes:
SOUTH SLOPE 600-1000m
Biancavilla
Santa Maria di Licodia
Trecastagni
Viagrande
Paterno
Belpasso
Nicolosi
Pedara
EAST SLOPE 400-900m asl
Zafferana Etnea
Milo
Giarre
Mascali
Aci S. Antonio
Acireale
S. Venerina
NORTH SLOPE 500-800m asl
Linguaglossa
Castiglione di Sicilia
Randazzo
S. Alfio
Piedimonte Etneo
You will notice that the actual production zone delineated by the dotted line might only touch one of these Communes (such as, Acireale). This is because the production zone also has altitude delimitations (400-1000m asl) and a winemaker producing an Etna DOC wine can only use grapes that are grown within this altitude range. The altitude delineations become rather complex and vary from one Contrada to the other. Some contrade will max out at 600m, others all the way up to 1000m. Just one example for you: Passopisciaro, a prominent winery in the North that bottles single Contrada (Cru, vineyard) wines. You’ll notice that they only bottle one Etna Rosso DOC and that is because they have vineyards that grow above the elevation cap for their growing zone and the grapes from these vines legally cannot take part of an Etna DOC bottling.
I wish I could also give you an even more zoomed in map of all the Contrade in these 20 communes, but that is not yet possible. There are some maps of vineyard plots in some Contrade, but I can only find these for the northern territories. In addition, these maps are made by the Province of Catania and if they do exist, they certainly aren’t mainstream and are hiding somewhere in a provincial office or hanging on a wall in a cellar on Etna. Lastly, because Etna’s soil is so diverse, one Contrada or Cru may have multiple soil types and the reference to the actual soil may be more important than just a reference to the Contrada.
The Name: Etna DOC
Mount Etna is the largest volcano in Europe located on the island of Sicily in the province of Catania and Etna Rosso wines are grown on the slopes of the volcano. Etna goes by other names and you may find on bottle labels and in texts Etna referred to as, “Aetna”, the Roman-Latin name, which probably came from the Greek word aitho, meaning, “to burn violently”. Locals often refer to Mt. Etna as “Mongibello”, “Mon-jee-bell-o”, which means, “beautiful mountain” in Sicilian. Mongibello is also the scientific term referring to the most current layer of ash and lava caused by Etna’s eruptions dating from 15,000 years ago to the present day. I’ve also heard Etna referred to as, “Mamma Etna.” These natural wonders tend to take on female personification.
The Etna DOC was established in 1968. It’s surprising it has not yet reached DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) status because of its ever-growing reputation and demand for the wine. It could happen--the Etna Consorzio in the last few years has already taken strides to regulate production, and there has been some buzz of “upgrading” the denomination. For now, it is a Denominazione di Origine Controllata. To bear the Etna DOC designation (or any DOC designation for that matter), a winemaker must pay dues to the Consorzio and strictly observe certain regulations and/or restrictions in the winemaking process, from what grapes are allowed in the blend to the wine’s maturation/aging, and beyond. In the recent past, if a winemaker growing grapes and making wine on Mt. Etna wanted to opt out of the Etna DOC he or she could do so and still put “Etna” on the label. In 2019, the Etna DOC Consorzio made this option illegal: Etna can only be on the front label if it is in fact a part of the Etna DOC certification. This fact is actually a point of contention for some winemakers. While we could explore the valid socio-economic reasons as to why they disagree with this regulation, it comes down to this: Etna has become a hot wine region and the name holds a lot of selling power. In its purest intention, the Consorzio wants to better control the quality of Etna wines in the market.
The History
Etna has been a central hub for quality wine production and research for longer than we realize. Already in the 13th century, Etna had established wineries or “commanderies” that were tended to by the Knights of Hospitaller in the 13th-15th c. These men were barons of the Catholic Crusades, and established themselves in the area for centuries. The winemaking tradition persisted, and in the 18th c. the powerful and well traveled Spitaleri family brought back French winemaking techniques. Generations of the family practiced these newer methods, elevating the otherwise high yielding Etna vines and field blends to a status that rivaled Champagne and Bordeaux. This assertion is not an exaggeration. The 1800s saw the peak of world expositions and trade fairs, and this Etna family would bring back first place prizes for their sparkling wines, outdoing their French counterparts.
As with all of Europe, the disruption caused by WWI and WWII set back not just the economy, but the means for, and interest in, quality wine production in Italy. In the 1960s, Italy saw its comeback with the Supertuscan Bordeaux blends coming from Tuscany. Ever since, Italy continues to rise to limitless heights in terms of quality and unique wine production. Etna is no exception. Its reputation as a quality wine producing area, with old vine production (some vines are 100+ years old) on volcanic soils, blew up in the early 2000s. Appropriate imagery, right? It happened fast, all at once, and producers have hustled to keep up with the production and quality standards that the export market continues to ferociously demand.
In addition to its ever-growing reputation for Burgundian style, elegant and age-able wines, Etna is still an experimental hub. True to its long history of winemaking, present day winemakers experiment with different vinification and maturation methods, and more minimal intervention, a term that has become synonymous with “natural” wine. The variety of grapes and styles mean Etna wines are well suited to a range of foods and personal palates.
The Land
The region’s soils are...volcanic. Seems obvious, but what is not so obvious is that a volcano releases a different mineral, rock, and gas composition every time it erupts. Mamma Etna is still active and erupts often, naturally fertilizing the entire Etna area. Etna is also classified as a stratovolcano, which means it is a conical volcano, built up by many layers or “strata” that scientists date and name. After a hundred+ thousand years of eruptions from different volcanic systems (the strata), one could imagine just how complex the Etna geology and soils are. Despite its natural mystery, there are some specific clues when we taste Etna wines that lead us to certain zones of the volcano.
The 3 major classifications of Etna’s volcanic history are Ellitico, Mongibello, and the Milo systems. Ellitico is the oldest of the three, delineating eruptions from 15k+ years ago. Being older, these Ellitico soils are typically under the younger, Mongibello strata. There are, however, some areas where the Ellitico soil is exposed: Randazzo in the North and Biancavilla in the South. Wines from vines grown on Ellitico in the North tend to be higher toned, or “nervy”, which means that the acid is higher, the fruit brighter, and has more minerality. Wines from Ellitico in the South have a similar mineral depth and acidic energy, but are more concentrated in fruit as the sun favors the south side and the vines pump out extra ripe grapes. The only producer imported in the States from Biancavilla, the southern Ellitico zone is Masseria Setteporte.
Milo is a Commune, but also serves as the name for a specific volcanic system. That is because the volcanic Milo system exists only in the commune of Milo. It was caused by a huge landslide from higher up on the volcano and the crater left by the slide is called the Valle del Bove. In this landslide, soils from systems older than Ellitico were taken down and slid to Milo. These unique soils make it the proud and exclusive home of the Etna Bianco Superiore DOC. Milo is the ONLY area that can label such a wine. In this scenario, superiore does not simply refer to the alcohol level, as it does in many, if not all other parts of designated Italian wine production zones, it also refers to the supposed “superiority” of the soils for growing the Carricante and Cataratto grapes which make up Etna Bianco. Producers that make Etna Bianco outside of this area might, understandably, give you an eye roll at that assessment. These designations have deep historical-political ties and might need modern day reevaluation. For now, though, this is how the designation system is set up and Etna Bianco Superiore is only from Milo.
The Grapes
Before modern day wine making, Etna was home to a wide range of diverse grape varietals. Some of which certain winemakers are committed to cultivating despite the fact that they cannot make the wine under the Etna DOC label (e.g, Santa Maria La Nave’s Grecanico Dorato). Etna, like the rest of Sicily and the Mediterranean, has a multi-cultural heritage, so it is not uncommon to find Grenache (initially brought over by the Aragons in the 1400s), still growing (e.g. Buscemi’s Tartarato, made from old-vine Grenache).
The mainstay red grape of Etna is Nerello Macalese, but in historical documents this dude (grape) doesn’t show up until the 18th c. and is referred to as “Negrello”. The late mention is probably due to the fact that the peasant population cultivated this varietal and had virtually no access to the historical record. Grapes are an agricultural product and as mentioned, the poorer peasant population tended to the agricultural needs of the community. Productive grapes = more quantity = more money. It makes sense that easier to cultivate, productive varietals were favored and made the cut, so to speak. Nowadays, grape growers go to great lengths to curb Nerello Mascalese’s (and other Etna varieties: the Carricante white grape is also rather productive) productivity, helping produce grapes with better concentration, which in turn, make for better wine.
Bold means main grape, or the majority of the blend.
Etna Rosso DOC:
Nerello Mascalese
Nerello Cappuccio
Nocera
Etna Bianco DOC:
Catarratto
Carricante
Minella
Trebbiano*
*the further you dive into Italian wines, the more you will see “Trebbiano” around. It shows up in almost every region, but with often unknown genetic identity. Meaning, all these Trebbiano are not the same grape. It’s a name slapped on, seemingly randomly, to white grapes when the true identity is unknown. There are some Trebbiano that we can distinguish by region, for example, Trebbiano Abuzzese (Abruzzo), a delightful and powerful varietal. The Trebbiano listed here for Etna? No clue. Maybe Trebbiano Toscano? Someone will have to come through with some genetic research to truly know.
Production Rules:
Etna Rosso & Etna Rosso Riserva
At least 80% Nerello Mascalese, with up to 20% Nerello Cappuccio + Nocera
Riserva: lower yields and a min of 1 yr in wood and 4 yrs aging in bottle before release
Etna Bianco
At least 60% Carricante, with up to 40% Cattarato + Minella + Trebbiano
Etna Bianco Superiore
At least 80% Carricante with up to 20% Cattarato + Minella + Trebbiano
To bear this name, it must be made solely with grapes grown in the commune of Milo
Etna Spumante
You may find it surprising that Etna has a long tradition of making wine in the French Champagne style. The powerful and entrepreneurial Spitaleri family took their bubbles on the road during the peak of World Fairs and trade shows in the mid 19th c. They won first prize multiple times, outdoing their French Champagne counterparts. Today, producers still do make bubbles in this tradition, but often they are not exported here as the US market for sparkling wines is rather non-existent, unless of course it is Champagne. The Murgo family on Etna is perhaps the most well known producer, their still wines lesser known than their sparklers.
at least 60% Nerello Mascalese, up to 30% other non aromatic Sicilian varietal
second fermentation must happen in the bottle, a minimum of 9mo aging and lees contact before final bottling.
Production rules:
60% Nerello Mascalese
up to 30% non aromatic Sicilian varietals
Second fermentation must happen in bottle, wine must spend a minimum of 18mo on the lees aging.
WINE SHOP
Masseria Setteporte Etna Rosso
Eduardo Torres “Versante Nord”
PRODUCERS
