The southern slope of Etna is one of Italy’s most surprising wine regions, and not just for the scenery. Here, vines grow on hand-built lava-stone terraces passed down through generations, just a few kilometres from a volcano that’s still active. Guests staying at Magma 610 have these vineyards almost within reach: the best-known wineries are just 15-25 minutes by car from our apartments in Pedara.
What makes Etna wine unique
Volcanic soil is the first thing that sets these wines apart from anywhere else in Sicily. Mineral-rich, well-draining and different from one slope to the next — depending on the lava flow that formed it and how many centuries have passed since — it gives the wines a distinctive minerality, often compared to high-altitude northern European wines rather than those from southern Italy.
Altitude plays an equally important role. Many vineyards sit between 400 and 1000 metres above sea level, with sharp temperature swings between day and night that help the grapes ripen slowly, preserving acidity and aromatic complexity even in the hottest vintages.
The signature grape is Nerello Mascalese, used alone or in blends for the reds (often compared, for elegance and ageing potential, to the great wines of Burgundy), alongside Nerello Cappuccio. Among the whites, Carricante dominates, finding on Etna one of its freshest, most vertical expressions.
What to expect from a tasting
Wineries on the south side offer very different experiences: from a quick tasting of two or three labels in the sales room, to guided two- or three-hour tours that include a walk among the vines, a visit to the historic cellar, and a tasting paired with local products (cheese, cured meats, olive oil).
Most wineries require booking a few days ahead, especially on weekends and during the high season (September-October, in the middle of harvest). A guided tasting typically costs between €20 and €50 per person, depending on the length and the number of labels included.
Book your stay
An ideal base for exploring the wineries of the south side: discover our apartments in Pedara on Airbnb.
Historic wineries vs. new producers
Two souls of wine coexist on Etna. On one side, historic wineries, some active for over a century, with lava-stone buildings, nineteenth-century wine presses still open to visitors, and a more traditional approach to winemaking. On the other, a new generation of producers — often arriving on Etna over the last twenty years from other Italian wine regions or abroad — who have brought more modern techniques, single-contrada bottlings, and an almost obsessive attention to terroir.
There’s no right choice: historic wineries offer an experience more rooted in local farming tradition, while the younger ones often propose more structured, communicative tasting itineraries designed for an international audience. It’s worth alternating between the two during your stay, if time allows.
How to plan the visit
The area with the best-known wineries stretches between the towns of Trecastagni, Viagrande, Milo and Zafferana Etnea, all reachable from our accommodation in 15-25 minutes by car. A car is essentially essential: the wineries are scattered across the hillside contrade, with little to no public transport connecting them.
For anyone wanting to visit more than one in a day, we recommend sticking to two stops, so the visit doesn’t turn into a simple string of tastings — better to spend time walking among the vines and talking with the people who make the wine, when possible. If you plan to taste more than a couple of glasses, it’s best to arrange a designated driver or consider an organised tour with transport included.
Guests staying at Magma 610 can rely on a well-equipped kitchenette in the apartments to enjoy, at leisure, the bottles picked up during their visits — perhaps in the courtyard, with Etna in the background — a different way to end a day devoted to wine, away from the tourist restaurants.