Tenuta Antica Cavalleria: Ancient Etna Vines in Sicily

Davide Di Bella pours the Etna Rosato and waits. Pinot-pink, full-bodied, dry, with a saltiness that nods to the sea twenty kilometres away. The vines behind it were planted in 1894, before phylloxera flattened Europe’s vineyards. At Tenuta Antica Cavalleria you taste ancient Etna wines that come, quite literally, from another era.

A Living Piece of the 19th Century

Castiglione di Sicilia, foot of Mount Etna. The Di Bella brothers, Davide and Adriano, chose to keep the vineyard rather than replant. The vines still sit on their original rootstock, helped by Etna’s phylloxera-resistant volcanic soil. That gives wines that modern plantings cannot replicate, and wines that do not always have the muscle you might hope for.

For seven years they have worked inside the Produttori Etna Nord consortium with four other family producers. Pool resources, keep identity.

“We are five small azienda that started working together seven years ago. Our family has made Nerello for centuries, here in our palmento Etneo. We started 150 years ago,” says Davide.

Terroir: Fire and Tension

The vineyards sit at 600 metres on volcanic ash, loose, mineral-rich, with abundant skeleton grains. That is what gives Etna wines their salinity and tension. Altitude, ash, distant sea, all working together.

The vines grow free-standing on spur-cordon, north-south oriented. Enough sun, manageable summer heat. Consulting oenologist Pietro Di Giovanni works with the consortium.

The same volcanic environment also delivers problems. “When there is a lot of ash in summer and it is hot, that is not good for us,” Davide admits. Vintage variation runs hot.

The Portfolio

DAM Etna Rosso DOC

The flagship. Named for Grandpa Vincenzo through the initials of his three grandchildren: Diego, Ambra, Mauro. Nerello Mascalese with Nerello Cappuccio, around 15 days of maceration at 24°C. Stainless steel, then partial French oak ageing for at least 15 months.

In the glass: elegant ruby, blackberry, cherry, mineral, a light spicy edge. Tannins feel soft and sweet. Sometimes too soft. Old vines do not always deliver the concentration that younger plantings give. An honest wine that, next to Benanti, Tornatore, or Pietradolce, lacks structure.

Etna Rosato DOC: The Standout

This is where the estate hits its stride. Nerello Mascalese at 600 metres, fruit chilled to 8°C in stainless for natural settling. After 24 hours, pressed and fermented for around 30 days at controlled temperature, then six months in cement and six in bottle.

The result is full-bodied, dry, fresh, fruity, with spicy aromatics and a mineral spine that goes anywhere with food. Unusual depth for a rosé.

Etna Bianco DOC: Competent

Clean, mineral-driven, made from indigenous varieties including Carricante. Standard cold fermentation, minimal intervention, varietal character intact. But it lacks the personality of the leading Etna Bianco names. Nothing wrong with it, not much to write home about either.

The Consortium Advantage

Produttori Etna Nord links five producers across different contrade around Castiglione di Sicilia. Native varieties, shared facilities, separate interpretations. For small players, often the only realistic route to international shelves.

“Even though we are tiny, we have Nerello and Carricante in six different contrade. In each contrada, sometimes inside the same contrada, you make different wine,” Davide explains.

Agritourism

Five hectares, main building with three apartments, four converted farmhouses, swimming pool, restaurant facilities. Wine tastings, cooking workshops, tours covering both winemaking and broader Etna culture. Giardini Naxos and Taormina sit 25 kilometres away.

Guests praise the authentic Sicilian feel and the family’s involvement. Anyone expecting glossier facilities will register the rustic edge immediately. That is not a shortfall, it is the choice.

Authenticity vs. Market

Pre-phylloxera vines deliver character and history. They also deliver inconsistent yields. The wines stay hard to find outside Sicily. Choosing only indigenous varieties shrinks reach with consumers who expect international grapes.

“What we hope is that people don’t change things too much, but step into our tradition. The wine, the food, the sun, the sea. We are 20 kilometres from the coast,” Davide sums it up.

Critical Verdict

Heritage is not the same as excellence. The DAM Etna Rosso is interesting and historically meaningful, and sometimes falls short of Benanti or Pietradolce. The Etna Rosato proves the opposite case: when technique and tradition line up, this estate hits hard. The consortium catches a lot, but it cannot fix the physical limits of ancient vines.

Bottom line. Tenuta Antica Cavalleria gives you a rare window onto Sicily’s pre-phylloxera heritage and a serious agritourism experience. Do not expect consistent technical excellence. Do expect a unique terroir expression and, in the Etna Rosato, a wine that shows what this old land can still do.