Etna Days, sponsored by the Consorzio di Tutela Dei Vini Etna DOC, was held in September 2023 in Sicily. By all accounts, it was a memorable and enlightening experience for wine journalists hailing from Switzerland, Germany, Italy, England, and the United States. It certainly was for me. Three full days in the Etna DOC included a master class to enhance our knowledge of the culture, history and wines, a walk-around tasting that served as a snapshot of the many wines and styles offered, visits to an array of wineries, and lunches and dinners of regional fare that more than satisfied our taste buds for wine and food. In essence, Etna DOC, the dominant Sicilian wine region, deserves our attention.
View of Mt. Etna from the host hotel, Picciolo Etna Golf Resort & Spa
But First, Etna DOC
Many have suggested that the area of Etna is “an island within an island” due in part to the fact that viticulture on the volcano is markedly different from the rest of Sicily. There are five different sides for viticulture – north, northeast, east, southeast and south – shaped in a semi-circle in a clockwise direction around the volcano.
Production areas cover 20 municipalities and include 133 Contrade, small production sub-zones instituted in 2011 and updated in 2022 to reflect results from recent topographical surveys. Etna boasts some of the oldest cultivated vineyards in Italy. Many are more than 100 years old and some are are free-standing.
<img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26329" class="size-medium wp-image-26329" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.grape-experiences.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/EtnaVineyard.jpg?resize=450%2C600" alt="Etna
This Article was originally published on Grape Experiences
