Cantina Benanti

Sicily in March is verdant and lush. Among grapevines, emerging from their winter hibernation, grow grass and bright yellow flowers. The island is covered with orange groves and the pale pink of almond trees in bloom.

Grapes have probably been grown on the flanks of Mount Etna in Sicily since the first agricultural civilizations set foot on the island, no later than the 8th century B.C.  Seals found on the amphorae littering ancient shipwrecks on the floor of the Mediterranean indicate that Sicilian viticulture was very prosperous by the 2nd century B.C.

The slopes of Mount Etna, high above the ocean provide ideal conditions for grape growing: excellent sunlight; low rainfall; and shifts in temperature between day and night that favor slow complex flavor development in grapes. The soil that sits in thin layers above hardened lava flows drains extremely well and causes the vines to struggle mightily for both water and nutrients.

Few places evoke their terroir as do the vineyards on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily. That quality is tied tightly to three factors on Mount Etna: altitude, exposure and terroir.  Vineyards work their way up Mount Etna’s slopes, rising to about 1,100 meters (Etna currently rises to 3329 meters). Until about 400 meters, the vines are planted on clay and sand soils; but above this level on up to 900 meters Etna’s primary red variety, Nerello Mascalese, and its blending partner, Nerello Cappuccio, really thrive.  Clay and sand give way to volcanic soils, gravelly pebbles gradually transition to increasingly fine, volcanic sand as you climb the mountain.  The range of elevations, the variety of exposures and the unique microclimates present on Mount Etna result in an intriguing range of terroirs.  Nerello Mascalese expresses these distinctive sites, and its bright red fruit, herb and spice character is often expressed on a base of minerality.  Like Pinot Noir, Nerello Mascalese is thin-skinned and delicate, but Nerello’s tannins are more akin to those of Barolo’s Nebbiolo.  Etna's vineyards extend from north to southwest, lying primarily on the eastern side of the mountain. Harvest is typically from mid to late October, though for some producers, it extends into early November. Nerello Mascalese responds to the long hang time, which allows for overall maturity and complete ripening to develop its Nebbiolo-like tannins.

Above 900 meters, Etna’s highest-elevation vineyards are largely dedicated to white wine production and the local Carricante grape. The looser character of Etna’s volcanic soils encourages root development, and they remain well-drained yet store enough water for the dry summer months.

The Benanti family has been tending some of the islands oldest vines since Giuseppe Benanti took over his father's farm and began expanding the grape acreage in the late 1890s. For more than a century, the family passed both name and the care of the vineyards from grandfather to father to son. Giuseppe Benanti revived winemaking under the family's name (rather than just selling grapes) in the late 1980's and his two sons Antonio and Salvino have since joined him. Together they work the family's vineyards on the southeastern slopes of Mt Etna, producing low yields from vines that are at least 80 years old on average, but some are much older.  Most of the winery's vines are head-trained in the ancient albarelo method.

The oldest vineyard sits at the top of a hill overlooking the winery. These 100+ year-old Carricante and and Nerello Mascalese vines sit at about 450 meters on the southeast slopes of the volcano. This exposure means they tend to be warmer than the rest of Etna, leading Benanti to generally be the first to harvest grapes on the mountain each year.  The winery also owns vineyards on the northern side of the mountain, in the area known as Rovitello, as well as elsewhere in Sicily.

The grapes are usually destemmed completely and then fermented with native yeasts in steel tanks (for the whites) or large old oak vats (for the reds), then transferred to old oak barrels of varying sizes for aging. Benanti uses mostly two and three year-old French oak barrels.  Despite the winery's small size (producing only about 10,000 cases each year), they are among the best known of Etna's producers, thanks to being some of the earliest pioneers in Etna's relatively short modern history of wine production.  The winery is best known for its white wine, Pietramarina, which is made from 100% old-vine Carricante, an indigenous Sicilian white grape, and their Serra della Contessa red wine made from Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappucio.  In the 2007 the Gambero Rosso Guide bestowed its ‘Winery of the Year’ awarded to Benanti. This award reflects the passion and commitment of Giuseppe Benanti for winemaking and the pioneering work for the wines of Mount Etna.  In 1988 he began a five year investigation into local varietals, soils and oenological techniques. He thus determined the ideal conditions for the nerello mascalese, nerello cappuccio and carricante grapes which comprise most Benanti wines.

Visitors are welcome by prior appointment.  Guided tours of the vineyards, wine tasting and lunch may be arranged upon request.  The winery also accommodates groups and guided tours in English may be requested accordingly.  Benanti is located at Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, 361, 95029 Viagrande CT, Italy about 45 minutes north of Catania.  Phone: +39 095 789 0928

Below are photos of a painted Sicilian horse cart preserved on the property.