The Etna wine route

The Strada del Vino: high on the black flank of Etna

Etna is not only the largest active volcano in Europe but also one of Italy's most exciting wine regions. On the black, mineral slopes grow old grape varieties such as Nerello Mascalese (red) and Carricante (white), often on vineyards above 700 metres. This route strings together the wine villages of the northern flank: from Linguaglossa via the rock-top town of Castiglione di Sicilia and the lava city of Randazzo to the famous crus of Solicchiata and Passopisciaro.

Unique to Touren.app: you need not start in Linguaglossa. Tap "Drive this route from your location" and we rotate the loop so it starts at the point nearest your hotel or agriturismo and brings you back. You taste the same wine country, but from your own front door.

The route on the map

A schematic overview by Touren.app, not a navigation map. The exact route opens under “Drive this route” or in Google Maps. Map orientation: north is up.

Plan your own route

The 5 places along the route

1. Linguaglossa

Start · the gateway to the wine country

Linguaglossa is the start of the Etna wine country: a town of black lava stone on the north-eastern flank, with the pine woods of the Pineta Ragabo above it and the vineyards of the Etna DOC all around. In the centre is the regional enoteca, where you can taste the wines of dozens of small producers side by side before setting off. A good place to plan your route among the cellars.

Practical: park in the centre; the enoteca hands out maps and opening hours of the wineries. Many cellars lie just outside the town along the SS120 towards Randazzo.

2. Castiglione di Sicilia

the wine town on the rock · Castiglione di Sicilia

Castiglione di Sicilia sits on a rock above the Alcantara valley, crowned by a Norman castle. It is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy and bears the title 'città del vino': dozens of vineyards surround the town, with Etna as the backdrop. Through the dark lava-stone lanes you climb to the castle for a wide view over the crus.

Practical: park below the town and walk up; the centre is narrow and steep. Some well-known cellars (such as Planeta's Feudo di Mezzo) lie in the vineyards around it, to visit by reservation.

3. Randazzo

the black wine city · Randazzo

Randazzo is the best-preserved medieval town at the foot of Etna, built almost entirely of black lava stone and, of all the wine villages, the closest to the summit. It is the base for the wineries of the northern flank; Donnafugata, among others, has its Etna cellar here, with the volcano in view. Severe, dark and volcanic: exactly where these wines come from.

Practical: park on the edge and walk into the centre; the basilica of Santa Maria and the Via degli Archi are the finest. Combine it with a cellar tour nearby, always booked ahead.

4. Solicchiata

the heart of the crus · Solicchiata

Between Randazzo and Passopisciaro lie the contrade: named single-vineyard crus on old lava flows, a little like those of Burgundy. Around Solicchiata the vines stand on black, mineral soil, often still as old alberello bushes without rootstock. Here Cottanera, among others, makes its wines, with the characteristic "pyramids" of stacked lava stone between the rows. Step out, smell the soil and see why Etna is such a singular wine region.

Practical: the vineyards lie along narrow country lanes; drive slowly. Cellars such as Cottanera and Pietradolce welcome visitors by appointment, usually with a tour and tasting.

5. Passopisciaro

the most famous cru · Passopisciaro

Passopisciaro is the epicentre of modern Etna wine. At 600 to over 1,000 metres lie its most celebrated crus, where Nerello Mascalese ripens into elegant, almost Burgundian reds. Names such as Tenuta delle Terre Nere, Graci and Passopisciaro (of Andrea Franchetti, who put the crus back on the map) make their finest wines here. A last, high-altitude stop among the old vines before you return to Linguaglossa.

Practical: this is the end of the loop back to Linguaglossa. To taste, plan one or two cellars with a reservation; along the way you drive the quiet SS120 with the volcano in view.

Practical: cellars, tasting and safe driving

From which place: the route starts in Linguaglossa, but you need not start there. Tap "Drive this route from your location" and Touren.app rotates the loop to the point nearest your hotel or agriturismo.

Visits by reservation: most Etna cellars receive guests by appointment only, not if you simply turn up. Book a day or more ahead; a cellar tour with tasting usually costs between 25 and 65 euro per person and lasts an hour or two. Booking is considered a courtesy here.

Safe at the wheel: tasting and driving do not mix. Agree on a designated driver, spit during the tasting (quite normal), or stay over in an agriturismo among the vineyards. That way you enjoy it without risk.

Add the whites: to taste the white Etna wines too, extend to Milo on the eastern flank, home of the Carricante and the Etna Bianco Superiore. Reckon on about an hour extra driving there and back.

Best time: May to October. The harvest (vendemmia) in late September and October is the finest time, but also the busiest: book well ahead.

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