Cottanera

Who they are

Cottanera is a family winery on the north slope of Etna, with its estate at Contrada Iannazzo, beside Strada Provinciale 89, in the municipality of Castiglione di Sicilia. The company, Cottanera S.r.l. Agricola, presents itself as a house that has worked the land since 1960, and photographs of the Cambria family appear in its history. Its website insists on two ideas: that whole families work in the house and the trade passes from generation to generation, and that almost all the work in the vineyard, harvest included, is done by hand. The marketing office is in Messina.

The estate and its wines

Etna is divided into contrade, areas separated by lava flows from different eruptions, and Cottanera tries to make each wine reflect its own. It makes reds, whites, a rosé and a traditional-method sparkling wine, within the Etna DOC denomination; among its labels are the Etna Rosso from Contrada Feudo di Mezzo and the Etna Bianco from Contrada Calderara. The Etna grapes are mainly nerello mascalese for the reds and carricante for the whites.

In the Iannazzo vineyard, in the Feudo di Mezzo contrada, the so-called pyramids of Etna are preserved: conical heaps of lava stone, built dry by the farmers who cleared the land of stones to plant. They are one of the things you see on the visit.

The visits

The winery offers tasting itineraries to get to know the estate, the volcano and its way of making wine, in a family atmosphere and without hurry. One described on its website lasts about three hours: a walk through the vineyards and the lava pyramids and a tasting of five wines of the denomination, the basic rosso, bianco and rosato and the two from the contrade. The website does not publish prices, days or times, or group size, and does not say whether children can come along: if you travel as a family, ask.

Beside the winery, at the same address, is Dimora Cottanera, a country house with 13 rooms of different categories, some with views of the vineyards and the volcano, a pool and breakfast of local produce. It has its own website and is booked separately, on +39 338 222 0205 or at [email protected].

How to book and languages

Visits are always booked in advance, by phone on +39 391 393 9073 or by email at [email protected]; the estate's general number is +39 391 393 9072. They do not publish cancellation conditions: agree them when you book. The website is in Italian and English, and does not say in which languages the tasting is given; ask when you write.

You get there by car: the estate is beside provincial road 89, among the vineyards of Castiglione di Sicilia. If you are going to taste, bring a driver who does not drink or book at Dimora Cottanera so you do not have to drive.