Etna Bianco DOC · Italia · Est. 2002

Tenuta delle Terre Nere Wines

Tenuta delle Terre Nere is a benchmark winery on the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna, founded in 2002 by Marco de Grazia following the acquisition of a 45-hectare estate. Although his first investments in Etna's volcanic soils date back to the late 1990s, it was in 2004 that the winery achieved full self-sufficiency, vinifying the estate's grapes in its own cellar for the first time. Marco de Grazia, who had previously played a pivotal role in Barolo's rise to international fame, brought his pioneering vision to Sicily, becoming one of the first producers to recognise the potential of these long-forgotten terroirs and to place Etna on the map of the world's finest wines. The winery's philosophy revolves around viticultural excellence: in Etna's extreme climate, meticulous attention to the vineyard is the key to achieving optimal and consistent ripening. Viticulture is fully organic—certified since 2010—using only Bordeaux mixture and organic fertilisation. In the cellar, the approach is classic and Burgundian in style: maceration-fermentation lasting 10 to 15 days, malolactic fermentation, and ageing in oak with 25% new barrels, with bottling around 18 months after harvest. Marco de Grazia himself defined Etna as the «Burgundy of the Mediterranean» and adopted the Burgundy-shaped bottle as a mark of identity. Tenuta delle Terre Nere produces around 70 micro-vinifications of Nerello Mascalese and 25 of Carricante, sourced from nine Contrade—the individual crus of the Etna DOC—including Calderara Sottana, San Lorenzo, Santo Spirito, Feudo di Mezzo and Guardiola. Its most iconic cuvée, Etna Rosso «Prephylloxera – La Vigna di Don Peppino», is produced from century-old vines over 140 years old trained in traditional espalier. Today, its 15 wines are exported to 95 countries, with the United States as the primary market, cementing the winery's status as an international reference point for the Etna DOC appellation.