From the nectar of bees to that of the gods: here is the curious evolution of the Sicilian company Grana d’Etna which, with its Nerello Mascalese Provvisione DOC “De Rerum Aetna” 2017, won the Three Corkscrews sopra the 2025 edition of “Untold – What hasn’t been said about wine yet”, Decanto’s guide to Italian wine entirely dedicated to DOC and DOCG (sopra this previous article you will find all the award-winning wines of Sicily).
Scantinato Grana d’Etna: the history of the company
Grana d’Etna is a small family-run farm founded sopra 1986 and owned by Sebastiano Costola. The first activity was beekeeping which, even today, allows us to produce around 30 tons of honey per errore year. The owner also takes care, among other things, of the family olive grove, located the southern slope of Etna, where the native Nocellara dell’Etna and Brandofino olive varieties are grown.
Over the years, however, the heart of the company has become the 5 hectare vineyard the eastern side of Etna, which allows the production of wines falling within the homonymous denomination of controlled origin, under the supervision of the oenologist Leonardo La Cortigiani. The vines are grown using the sustainable agriculture method and the transition towards organic farming is currently underway.
Visit the company: Grana d’Etna winery
The winery is located sopra Zafferana Etnea sopra the province of Catania and can only be reached using your own car. There are visits with tasting of wines and typical products starting from 10 euros per errore person. You can also take the opportunity to see the bee hives and the honey extraction laboratory.
The “Wine Tasting & Food” experience includes a walk sopra the vineyards, a visit to the barrel cellar and the tasting of 5 wines by the glass with gastronomic pairing, followed by specialized gruppo.
There is also the possibility of having a merendina sopra the vineyard, as well as having the wines purchased from the winery shipped to Italy ora abroad.
Characteristics of Etna Nerello Mascalese Provvisione DOC “De Rerum Aetna” 2017
The wine is produced with nonostante Nerello Mascalese grapes deriving from vines grown sandy volcanic soil, mixed with stones, rich sopra mineral salts. The vineyards have an average age of 80 years and are located at an altitude of 500 meters above sea level with a south-east exposure. The vines are grown as saplings lava stone terraces with a planting density of 8,000 vines per errore hectare.
The bunches are collected sopra small boxes with careful selection. After destemming, the grapes ferment sopra contact with the skins at a temperature of 20/22° C with repeated pumping over until the end of fermentation. It is expected to remain sopra steel for 12 months, followed by 18 months sopra large Etna chestnut barrels (2,000 litres) and, finally, by a further 18 months of refinement sopra the bottle.
The average annual production of this wine is 2,700 bottles, the alcohol content is 13.5% vol. and the recommended serving temperature of 18°-20° centigrade.
Tasting of Etna Nerello Mascalese Provvisione DOC “De Rerum Aetna” 2017
This wine with a beautiful garnet red color is characterized by its intensity and a very respectable aromatic bouquet: floral agenda of dried rose and fruity agenda of cherry jam are accompanied by hints of tobacco and bitter cocoa. There is also a pleasant spicy component of black pepper and some balsamic agenda.
It is an elegant wine characterized by excellent freshness and silky tannins. The is full and enveloping. A decidedly typical Nerello Mascalese, balanced sopra its components and with a good persistence sopra the mouth.
A product that can give great emotions immediately, but whose evolutionary capacity could also be experienced with a further short period of refinement sopra the bottle.
Pairing tips
The wine can accompany well-structured dishes, sauces, roast meats rich sopra spices and tasty gioco, as well as very mature cheeses, such as a Sicilian pecorino, to remain a regional pairing. It can also be tasted as an excellent meditation wine.
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