Benanti Winery

The Benanti family revived Etna winemaking in the 1980s when the volcano was an afterthought. Their single-vineyard bottlings from different contrade demonstrate terroir variation. The historic cellars and family hospitality make this an essential Etna stop.

What to do there

3 things to do

1. 1 Find the Vineyard Named in a Document from 1474 History · Price: high

   Serra della Contessa vineyard name appears in a Latin notarized document from 1474 - this land has been wine country for over 550 documented years.

   Giuseppe Benanti (1734 family roots in Sicily) founded this winery in 1988 when Etna wine was an afterthought that nobody respected. His Serra della Contessa vineyard appears by name in a Latin notarized legal document from 1474 - 514 years before Giuseppe bottled the first modern version of it. During the tasting at Benanti Winery (Via Garibaldi 475, Viagrande, book via benanti.it), ask specifically about Serra della Contessa: 'Cosa rende speciale Serra della Contessa?' (What makes Serra della Contessa special?). In 2015, he created an Etna Rosso Riserva from the pre-phylloxera portion of that vineyard with 60-month aging - one of the rarest Sicilian wines ever made. Ask if they have any remaining bottles of the 2015 Riserva, or if the twins Antonio and Salvino (who took over operations in 2012) have released a new Riserva edition.

   Backup: Even the standard Etna Rosso from Benanti represents the quality breakthrough that Giuseppe pioneered - described by Wine Spectator as sparking 'Mount Etna's wine renaissance.'

   Log Memory
2. 2 Taste the Pre-Phylloxera Nerello That Survived Two World Wars Wine · Price: high

   The pre-phylloxera vines in Serra della Contessa are ungrafted - their roots have been in the same Etna soil continuously since before 1860.

   Benanti's Serra della Contessa includes a portion of the vineyard that survived phylloxera on their own roots - possible because of Etna's volcanic pumice soils that the louse cannot penetrate. These ungrafted vines are estimated to be 80-120+ years old. The wine from pre-phylloxera vines has a different texture and depth than even old grafted vines - the root system reaches far deeper into volcanic rock, drawing minerals that younger vines cannot access. In the Benanti tasting room, ask for whichever single-vineyard Serra della Contessa expression is available. Taste it slowly - the flavors emerge in sequence rather than all at once, which is characteristic of very old vine wines. Ask: 'Queste viti sono innestate o a piede franco?' (Are these vines grafted or own-rooted?). The answer for the pre-phylloxera portion will be proprio - own-rooted.

   Backup: Benanti's Rovittello (north Etna) and Pietramarina (white Carricante from east Etna) are also single-vineyard classics that demonstrate the estate's range.

   Log Memory
3. 3 Ask About Giuseppe - The Man Who Believed Before Anyone Else Did History · Free · Optional

   Giuseppe Benanti died at 78 as the credited founder of the Etna wine renaissance - in 1988 he was the only person who believed the volcano's potential was real.

   In 1988, Etna wine was essentially unknown outside Sicily. Giuseppe Benanti - a pharmacist by training, a winemaker by obsession - founded his winery at a time when the local conventional wisdom was that Etna wines were thin, acidic, and unworthy of serious attention. He proved them wrong, and the entire Etna boom of the 2000s and 2010s traces back to his demonstration that it was possible. At any point during your Benanti visit, ask: 'Cosa diceva la gente quando Giuseppe ha fondato la cantina nel 1988?' (What did people say when Giuseppe founded the winery in 1988?). This simple question invites the guide to share the founding story from the inside. The twins Antonio and Salvino grew up watching their father build this - their staff knows the human story, not just the wine story.

   Backup: Wine Spectator's obituary for Giuseppe Benanti (died at 78) credits him explicitly with 'sparking Mount Etna's wine renaissance' - if the guide doesn't volunteer this history, you can mention it and watch the pride in their response.

   Log Memory

Insider tips

• The Serra della Contessa is legendary

• Ask about volcanic soil effects

• Family history is fascinating

• Contrada comparison tastings available