Viticultural Zoning on Etna: Benanti's Pioneering Project

Viagrande, Catania (June 30, 2025) - Etna is not simply a volcano. It is region which breathes, speaks and lives through its soils, vines and wines. A place like no other. In this unique scenario, Benanti represents a symbol of excellence and innovation, having spent the last four decades celebrating the specific identity of each slope of the volcano. Benanti is the only estate covering the four slopes of the Etna DOC appellation and its focus on viticultural zoning dates back to the times when this region was virtually “uncharted territory” in the world of fine wine. And, more recently, the winery has welcomed a new long-term strategic investor, Brave Wine, a wine-focused holding company led by renowned entrepreneur Renzo Rosso, raising new funds to support further development in the winery with a clear, continued commitment to quality and sustainability.

Each slope of Etna tells its own story and displays its unique combination of natural elements, producing site- specific micro-climates. Benanti’s commitment revolves around showing how the differences in soil composition, elevation, aspect, ventilation, luminosity, rainfall, temperature, diurnal range and maritime influence which exist on Etna combine to create clearly distinctive wines. Sine the end of the 1980s, Benanti has strived to identify and invest in the areas most suited for the production of fine, typical, terroir-driven, site-specific wines.

“Viticultural zoning, to us, is not simply a work methodology, but rather a philosophy which allows us to capture the multiple nuances of the various Etna terroirs” say Antonio e Salvino Benanti, who lead the winery today. “Making wines on all four slopes of the Etna DOC appellation allows us to embrace the complexity of this volcano and translate it into wines which tell different stories but share a common, deep love for our land”.

Most of the wines in Benanti’s range are contrada- or vineyard-specific. Contrada Rinazzo in Milo, on the eastern flank of Mount Etna facing the Ionian Sea, gives rise to exceptionally crisp, refined and age-worthy Carricante- based wines, whilst Nerello Mascalese-based reds from Contrada Calderara Sottana in Randazzo, on the northern slope of the volcano, stand out for their complexity and depth. On the same slope, Contrada Dafara Galluzzo in Rovittello, Castiglione di Sicilia, yields restrained and balanced Nerello Mascalese-based wines. On the opposite side of Mount Etna, Contrada Cavaliere at the south-western end of the DOC region, within the territory of Santa Maria di Licodia, boasts the highest elevation and luminosity within the appellation area, producing intense, structured wines whereas Contrada Monte Serra in Viagrande, on the south-eastern tip has light, highly draining soils and a moderate maritime influence, producing rounder, elegant and versatile wines. Benanti’s "Selezione Contrade" encompasses all this.

With its comprehensive, selective Etna-wide approach, Benanti is a true ambassador of the appellation in its entirety and, through its wines, it is able to display the unique traits and profile of the different terroirs that make up this fascinating and globally-acclaimed wine region.

The Benanti family turned a passion into an ambitious, high profile endeavour in 1988. The founder Giuseppe Benanti, with his entrepreneurial spirit and unprecedented vision, is credited for being the pioneer of fine wine making in the Etna region, fostering its indigenous grape varieties, while his sons Antonio and Salvino have led the winery to new hights since 2012.

Today, Benanti produces 250,000 bottles that reach the leading wine markets of the world via a network of highly specialised and respected distributors and are endorsed and praised by the most prominent critics and professionals. Benanti is not simply a winery, it’s an icon of the Etna region and it embodies its soul and energy.