MONTELEONE

The Monteleone winery is a relatively young wine-producing enterprise, founded in 2017 by Giulia Monteleone, together with her father Enrico and her partner, the oenologist Benedetto Alessandro. The project took shape following a lengthy search for the ideal location, which was found at the foot of Mount Etna, near the River Alcantara, in a landscape and soil-climate context ideally suited to viticulture. From the very beginning, the winery has been conceived not merely as a farm, but as a true life project, deeply rooted in family values and the promotion of the Etna region. The first vineyards, covering around two hectares, include historic plots with vines dating back to 1935, trained both on espaliers and using the traditional Etna bush system. In the years that followed, the estate expanded to cover around 7 hectares of vineyards, whilst maintaining a limited, quality-focused production. One of the distinctive features of the Monteleone winery is its strong connection to the individual terroirs of Etna, expressed through wines that originate from specific districts such as Cuba and Pontale Palino. This focus on zoning allows the winery to highlight the differences in soil and microclimate, creating wines that express the volcanic character of the territory in a precise and recognisable way. From a production perspective, the winery’s philosophy is based on an artisanal and minimally interventionist approach. In the winery, the focus is on fermentation in stainless steel tanks and small vessels, with frequent manual punching down and spontaneous malolactic fermentation. Ageing generally takes place in lightly toasted French oak tonneaux, followed by a period in bottle, with the aim of preserving the balance between structure, finesse and terroir. A further distinctive feature is the choice to work predominantly with native Etna grape varieties, such as Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio and Carricante, interpreted in a contemporary style whilst respecting tradition. Production, deliberately limited (around 35,000 bottles per year), reflects a philosophy focused on quality and expressive precision rather than quantity. In just a few years, Monteleone has established itself as one of the most interesting emerging producers on the Etna scene, thanks to wines that combine elegance, minerality and a strong sense of place, an authentic expression of Etna’s complex and fascinating terroir.