Tornatore

Tornatore

[One of the largest landholders on Etna]

The Tornatore family first acquired vineyards at Castiglione di Sicilia in 1865, and from the 1930s began planting on the slopes of Mount Etna itself.

Today they farm 60 hectares between 550 and 700 metres of altitude, which makes them one of the largest landowners in the Etna DOC.

The vineyards lie on the northern flank of Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe.

The soils are volcanic, formed from lava rock, ash and lapilli.

The climate is mild, tempered by the influence of the Nebrodi mountains. Harvesting and sorting are carried out entirely by hand, and the wines are aged in oak in an underground cellar whose walls and floor are laid with Etna basalt.

The winery runs on renewable energy: thoroughly modern in every respect, yet built to keep its impact to a minimum and to show the greatest possible respect for the landscape around it.

The family is also working towards organic certification, establishing a way of farming the vineyards that does without chemical treatments altogether.