INTRODUCTION
HISTORY
Firriato was among the first major Sicilian brands to arrive on Etna, experimenting with mountain viticulture and testing a particular pedoclimatic context with specific peculiarities of the soil.
The interest was to cultivate in a soil that was not only volcanic, but also geologically young, therefore understanding its peculiarities, discovering its oenological and productive value. At the beginning of the 90s the company worked to acquire vineyards on the North-Northeast side of the volcano, notoriously suited to viticulture, establishing itself near Castiglione di Sicilia in Contrada Verzella, historically known for the favorable microclimate for the red grape vineyards.
After this first goal and increasingly aware of the distinctive feature of Etna production, Firriato decides to settle permanently in the area, purchasing the entire Cavanera Etnea estate located at an altitude of 650 meters above sea level, recovering and restoring one of the housing complexes typical of Etna, with an ancient millstone attached, inaugurating the Cavanera Etnea Resort and subsequently designing a modern cellar intended for the production of the classic method and Etna DOC wines.
1994
the first vintage
Today the Firriato vineyards cover 97 hectares, of which 88 are under vineyards distributed over 12 districts in the North, North-East area of the volcano.
The versatility of the pedoclimatic contexts offered by Etna and the microbiological nature and microchemical nature of the lava flows differ greatly not only between the North, East, West and South areas, but also from district to district. This means that it is possible that the same grape variety can give rise to completely different wines depending on these “microzones”, better called and known as “contrade”. Precisely for this reason, Firriato valorises all the traditional Etna vines: Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio for the red grape varieties; Carricante and Catarratto for the white grape varieties.
PREPHYLLOXERA
140-150 anni
Harvest after harvest, Firriato has enhanced both the Etna terroir and the endemic varieties of the place, identifying through careful zoning work, those vineyards (Cru) capable of producing wines with particularly valuable organoleptic characteristics; giving life to a remarkable collection. The grapes are vinified in the company’s new cellar, inaugurated in 2019.
THE CAVANERA
CELLAR
The Cavanera Etnea winery is immersed in the heart of the Etna Nature Reserve, along the northern slope of the most active and fascinating volcano in Europe
A structure completely in harmony with the landscape which, from the harvest to the manual selection of the grapes up to the winemaking, the winery of Cavanera Etnea with its eco-sustainable technologies it allows you to fully enhance the characteristics of the volcano’s terroir, in full respect of the surrounding natural habitat.
The eco-compatible structure of the Cavanera Etnea winery was set inside a lava flow that entered the volcanic soil tens of meters deep.
The particular position within the sciara allows you to naturally take advantage of the energy advantages offered by the environmental context. An example is the natural thermal insulation which allows a constant temperature and ideal humidity without the use of energy-consuming machines.
THE RESORT
The Cavanera Etnea Resort is immersed in the natural reserve of the Etna Park.
it is an extraordinary structure on the slopes of Etna located in the north-east area of the volcano, about 600 meters above sea level.
Set among the vineyards of Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Carricante and Catarratto, it enjoys a favorable position between the historic municipalities of Castiglione di Sicilia and Randazzo.
