An itinerary to discover the fascinating Mount Etna, a sacred volcano, its charming wineries and wine resorts, and the nearby Catania, called the Black City.

The culture of wine has accompanied the history of Sicily since the dawn of time, favored by the extraordinary climate of the island, planting the first “enological” seeds with the Greeks, spreading through the network of Christian monasteries, and then stopping with the Arab domination as it was not permitted by the Koran.

It was with the arrival of the Aragonese and then with the Bourbons that viticulture would explode again on the island, giving rise to the first wineries at the end of the 18th century, particularly in the area of ​​Mount Etna.

Mount Etna, a sacred mountain, the highest active volcano in Europe, and a paradise for winemakers for its unique terroir rich in minerals and the special “light” of the sun.

We follow an itinerary starting from Catania, nicknamed the Black City, as it is built in dark lava stone, to then reach Etna and climb, even over 1000 meters, to get to know its most heroic vineyards and most fascinating hospitality projects.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013, Etna has always been the protagonist of divinations and legends, linked to the nymph Aitna, personification of the Volcano that Zeus made immortal, or to Ulysses who, right at its feet, met Polyphemus, just to name a few. Venerated by the ancients as a manifestation of God, the sacred mountain has shaped the appearance and economy of the entire surrounding area.

Starting from its capital, Catania, one of the 8 UNESCO cities of Sicilian Baroque, extremely fascinating with its “black” monuments built in lava stone that stand out against the blue sky. Our itinerary starts, or can end, right here, assuming the arrival at its airport or via the highway.

Between a visit to the Black Colosseum and the splendid Palazzo Biscari, a baroque jewel that houses the most beautiful staircase in the world, you can sleep in the 5-star Palazzo San Giorgio, if you want to give in to the charm of a grand hotel, or in the baroque residence Dimora Paternò del Grado by the architect Perla Fiamingo, to experience the charm of an ancient private residence.

In Catania, you can also find one of the most famous gastronomic addresses in Sicily, Me Cumpari Turiddu, a traditional restaurant and putìa (deli shop), as the sign says, with the atmosphere of the romantic Little Italy of the 1920s in Once Upon a Time in America, among stalls full of artisanal specialties, laces and fairy lights.

A short walk away, for an aperitif or to buy some “liquid” souvenirs, you can stop at one of the best wine bars in the city, such as Enò – Etna Winehouse or Nelson Sicily.

From Catania, by car, you set off towards Etna, making a first stop in Belpasso, perhaps for lunch, at Nèroli Bio Relais, just 10 minutes from the city center, a resort created from an ancient monastery surrounded by orange and olive groves as far as the eye can see. Here, you can savor all the authenticity of a land that offers extraordinary products to be tasted in the farm-to-table restaurant of the relais, obviously with a wonderful view of Etna.

Domenico (Mimmo) Salanitri, chef of the resort restaurant, uses self-produced ingredients that come from Dispensa Giarretta, a farm and winery managed, like the relais, by Patrizia Massimino and Ivan Pinieri who, after falling in love with this area, decided to purchase and begin the conservative restoration of the ancient religious site dating back to the 18th century.

From there, you can continue for about 20 minutes and reach Palmento San Nicolò, located in Trecastagni inside an ancient farm on Mount Etna, a relais with a swimming pool and a panoramic view of the vineyards of the Azienda Agricola Biondi, a renowned winery where extraordinary wines are born.

Nestled on a picturesque country road in the heart of a vineyard planted on Mount San Nicolò, a volcanic cone dating back to about 14,000 years ago, the relais, unique in the area, is located inside an ancient palmento, a workplace where grapes were once pressed, dating back to 1902.

The winery, founded at the end of the 19th century, today it is managed by Ciro Biondi, grandson of Cirino Biondi who in the early 1900s with his brother Salvatore had won important awards for his wines, also included in the ‘Grande Libro d’oro’ of producers by appointment of King Vittorio Emanuele III. Ciro decided to “put on hold” his career as an architect to dedicate himself, together with his wife Stephanie, to the family business.

Even though Ciro’s first love is wine, the beauty of the view from Monte San Nicolò has pushed him to wear the architect’s hat again to design, right among these vineyards, a dream home to allow his guests to experience all the magic. Palmento San Nicolò, where we recommend staying, is, in fact, one of the most beautiful wine tasting “lounges” in Sicily, where you can try the San Nicolò Etna DOC Rosso wine made from Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio grapes grown here.

Continuing to climb, the next stop is the Benanti company, founded by the family of the same name whose arrival in Sicily dates back to 1734, the year in which the Sicilian branch of the family was born after a descendant was sent there from Bologna at the behest of Vittorio Amedeo d’Aosta.

Already at the end of the 19th century in Viagrande, on the south-east side of the volcano, the Benantis began to dedicate themselves to wine production as an amateur, but it was in 1988 that, thanks to the fervent passion of Giuseppe Benanti, the first family business was born, today managed by his sons Antonio and Salvino.

Over the years, Benanti became a pioneer of winemaking in the Etna area, focusing its production on native vines and, the only Etna company that can boast its presence on every side of the DOC, selecting the best grapes from each of them for each type of wine.

The “Selezione Contrade” is a direct testimony to this commitment: through its labels the company highlights the unique characteristics of each production side and specific contrada. From vineyards that vary from 400 to 1050 meters above sea level, native vines such as Carricante, Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio find expression in wines that are true sips of territory.

A selection that can be tasted at the nineteenth-century estate at the foot of Monte Serra in Viagrande, first touching the century-old vines with your own hands, and then understanding, in the old palmento, the customs and techniques of winemaking, up to the visit of the historic cellar – today transformed into a wonderful art gallery that houses the collection of family oil paintings on canvas – and the barrel room, the place where the red wines are refined.

Continuing our journey, circumnavigating the volcano to the east, we reach the Cavanera Etnea Resort & Wine Experience estate, part of the Firriato Hospitality group, which takes its name from the area near the manor house, well-defined and protected, where the most precious crops were planted, synonymous with the “clos” of the French estates.

Founded by Salvatore Di Gaetano together with his family in 1984, the company relies on excellence in every aspect of the supply chain, with all the vineyards certified organic, so much so that it has given life to a real “Firriato method” and a collection of labels among the most internationally awarded in the region.

Inside Cavanera Etnea, there is a rare and precious treasure: it is the oldest part of this vineyard of wonders, with extraordinary plants in terms of shape, size, vital force, some of which are over 120 years old. These are some vines that, exceptionally, precede the appearance of Phylloxera in the early twentieth century, the terrible American insect that destroyed almost 80% of crops throughout Europe, effectively interrupting the Etna winemaking enterprise that only revived in the middle of the last century.

At the Cavanera Etnea Resort & Wine Experience, an estate about 600 meters above sea level nestled between the vineyards of Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Carricante and Catarratto, you can sleep in the original Palmento Suite within the seventeenth-century walls of the “small” Cavanera palmento and book a tasting of the company’s most representative wines, such as Le Sabbie dell’Etna, a vibrant red that captures the volcanic soul of the area, and the Signum Aetna that comes from the pre-phylloxera vineyard.

From the Resort, you can go and discover Randazzo, one of the most beautiful villages in Sicily and get lost in the streets of its medieval historic center. Or, on the advice of the concierge service of the various facilities, you can ask for advice on excursions to Etna or the event dates on which to board the Circumetnea Railway, an ancient railway line that dates back to the end of the 19th century.

At this point in the journey you will surely have understood why the “Smoking God” has enchanted so many generations of poets and writers, from Albert Camus to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, representing one of the most sought-after stops on the Grand Tour, the cultural initiation journey of the European elite in vogue until the end of the 19th century.

On the other hand, Taormina, a wonderful Mediterranean hanging garden, is only half an hour away and from there a thousand other adventures and itineraries suspended between Etna and the blue of the sea start.

Ph. Benanti © Leif Carlsson e © Benanti – Contrada Calderara Sottana