Unique places often have a voice of their own. Be it their beauty, their wildness or individual cultural heritage. Mt. Etna is one of those places where all of that is true, and in 2020 Mt. Etna called three friends home.

Giacomo, Giordano and Riccardo met at University and became life long friends. After careers spanning the globe, all three decided to come home and their dream of revitalizing a beautiful piece of Mt. Etna's winemaking history came to pass. Enlisting the help of famed viticulturist Salvo Foti, known for his ability to honor and capture the essence of Mt. Etna's native grapes and soils, they started Tenute Dei Ciclopi, a nod to the mythical Cyclopes who forge Zeus' lightning bolts in the belly of the volcano.

Tenute Dei Ciclope is located in Castiglione di Sicilia and Randazzo, on the northern slope of Etna bringing together the flavors of both the mountain and the sea. Throughout their vineyard sites the effect of volcanic soils, basalt licks that snake through old lava stone terraces, extreme elevation and the proximity of the sea combine to create wines of immense complexity and drinkablity.

Members of the Old Vines Conference, an international group that works to protect and maintain their ancient vines. Sitting at elevations at up to 943m above sea level, some of the vines they work with are at elevations too high to have succumbed to phylloxera. In addition to many un-grafted old vines, many vines are bush trained and supported by traditional chestnut poles. Grapes are farmed sustainably with an eye to tradition and preservation for future generations.

Mt. Etna is a rare and beautiful wild place. The wines of Tenute Dei Ciclopi bring to mind the best of all natural elements working in tandem to create something refined, evocative and absolutely delicious.