Region: Mt. Etna, Sicily, Italy

Varietal: Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio

Tasting notes: A formidable fresher blend that is sanguine on the palate and full of character reminiscent of Burgundy. This red blend from Benanti exudes intoxicating floral aromas of violets and peonies. The palate is juicy with red fruits and shaved ginger. 

Producer: Winemaking in the Benanti family can be traced back to the late 1800s in Viagrande. This deep-rooted passion for wine is what led Giuseppe Benanti to establish the namesake winery in 1988. Located on Mount Etna, “an island within the island” of Sicily, the Benanti family produces wines using 100% native grapes – Carricante, Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio. With vineyards positioned on four different slopes of the Etna volcano: North, East, South-East and South-West, the climatic influence and volcanic soils from each slope combine to create territorial wines with a “sense of place.” Benanti is the only winery with vineyards on every slope of the Etna DOC area.

Vineyard and Winemaking: If you haven't tried the wines from Benanti, this is an excellent introduction to their white wines from Mount Etna. This comes from a mix of 3 different vineyards from both the north and south slope of Etna.