DALL'UVA TRAVEL GUIDE
Cantina Benanti
Tasting Room
Visiting Here:

Michael's Notes:
Antonio & Salvino Benanti run this delightful mid-sized Etna winery (about 100,000 bottles/year) with an eye on preserving Etna winemaking history. It's an ideal winery to visit and sample what Etna wines are all about, with a very nice tasting room that's easy to find just on the outskirts of Viagrande.
Most of the Benanti vineyards reside above 1500 feet in the Caselle, Verzella and Rovittello contrade, with some diverse terroir that greatly influences the grapes. The resulting wines can be remarkably different, even though they all qualify as Etna Rosso & Bianco IGT wines.
On a visit I'd check out their base wines to start, both the Bianco di Caselle (white) and the Rosso di Verzella (red). In italy these run about 12€. More pricey (and delicious) are Benanti's Pietramarina (white) & Rovittello (red) produced from vines up to 80 years old. These cru wines would run you about 25-30€ in Italy (double that in the US). If you're up for a little bubbly, check out their Noblesse Brut for a minerally Carricante adventure.
Benanti's cantina is easy to visit; you might be able to just drop in, but I recommend making a reservation by email or call. They also host regional tasting events during the year, which can be great fun if your timing is good. Benanti also can host lunches and dinners on site if you're a big fan of their wines -- just email them for pricing.
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