Serafica, olive oil and wine from the southern side of Mount Etna
20
Dec 2025
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Mount Etna is a land in constant motion. Its soil is a mosaic of lava sands, ash and dark stones that are continually reshaped, giving the wines a black, deep and unmistakable minerality. The southern slope, sun-drenched and influenced by the proximity of the sea, fully reflects this shifting nature: soil colour and texture can change within just a few metres. It is a territory that allows no uniformity. Every stretch of land, even at short distance, tells a different story, and each vintage inevitably becomes a new chapter.
And yet, within this continual diversity, there is a thread that ties everything together: the singular quality imposed by the volcano, always present, even in its unpredictability. It is never standardised. It is born from an unstable balance between altitude, winds, light and volcanic ash — a balance that gives the fruit a recognisable personality, often incisive and vibrant, in constant evolution.
Observing, understanding, adapting
Serafica was born and operates within this ever-changing Etnean reality. Nature sets different conditions each year, and the estate responds with a practical approach: observe, understand, adapt.
It is a young project, yet with deep roots. The family has worked these lands for generations, and the journey began with olive oil. The olive groves, spread between Nicolosi, Ragalna and Santa Maria di Licodia, represent the first step in this path. Here an extra-virgin olive oil is produced that reflects the Nocellara Etnea variety and the conditions of the southern slope, shaped by the sea and by altitudes reaching up to 1,000 metres.
Alongside the olive groves, the wine project has grown, developed with the same essential approach: observing the land and working without forcing it. The estate owns both the olive mill and the winery, a choice that allows the entire production process to be followed — from olive to wine — without outsourcing any stage. A structure that mirrors their philosophy: controlling what is essential, simplifying the rest.
Places, visions and interpretations of the volcano
Serafica tells the story of Etna through three distinct paths, born from different places and different visions of the volcano.
Versante Sud represents the most direct expression of the family’s historic vineyards. Two parcels are located here: a Nerello Mascalese vineyard in the caldera of Contrada Monticelli, and a bush-trained vineyard in Contrada Monte Arso, at nearly 900 metres above sea level, on steep slopes. In these areas, white and red grapes coexist, from Carricante to relic varieties, preserving the agricultural memory of the southern slope and expressing a precise, recognisable identity.
Grotte stems from the idea of conveying Etna’s mineral elegance through one of its most distinctive elements: volcanic caves. These places preserve the geological history of the volcano and its irregular nature. Naming the wines after them means acknowledging the uniqueness of this landscape and the deep bond between soil, rock and wine.
Mirantur, instead, looks at the relationship between the volcano and the sea. It is a line inspired by the image of Etna sloping gently towards the marine horizon — a viewpoint that combines strength and openness, intensity and light. It is Sicily as seen by Serafica: a land of contrasts, where the volcano always remains the central reference point.
Across all three lines, the guiding principle is the same: working with indigenous grape varieties and allowing soil, altitude and vintage to define the character of the wines.
Mirantur, from the Latin “to marvel”, opens the tasting with a rosé that surprises through immediacy and tension. On the nose, notes of bread crust emerge first, followed by a clear citrus profile of pink grapefruit and a balsamic nuance that reinforces freshness. On the palate, the sip is lively and dynamic, supported by incisive minerality that drives the progression, leaving a sensation of energy and clarity.
Serafica Mirantur Bianco 2022 Catarratto
On the nose, the wine appears harmonious, with a well-integrated buttery component that does not cover but rather amplifies the aromatic register. Sweet spices emerge, along with hints of cooked sugar and a floral profile that adds lift. On the palate, the structure is enveloping and balanced, with a finish marked by a slight bitterness that dries and extends the sip, maintaining tension and drinkability.
Grotta della Neve, Etna Bianco DOC 2022 Carricante
The aromatic entry is lighter, built on floral and citrus notes, with hints of peach and lemon interwoven precisely, almost didactically narrating the territory. On the palate, a noble bitterness gradually unfolds, becoming increasingly persistent and defined, supported by a minerality that faithfully conveys the character of Etna and prolongs its depth.
Versante Sud Etna Bianco DOC 2021 Blend of Carricante and heritage varieties
On the nose, the profile is complex and layered: bergamot, citrus bitterness, spices, pepper, with a mineral backbone marked by a buttery and balsamic patina that softens the edges. The floral register remains clearly perceptible, providing breadth and airiness. On the palate, the wine is coherent and taut, with a precise progression that combines structure and depth without losing finesse.
Versante Sud Macerato 2021 Blend of Carricante and heritage varieties
(Same site and same grapes, previous interpretation) On the nose, the change in vinification is immediately evident: mango, tropical fruit, peach, a well-defined tropical fruity bitterness, Mediterranean herbs, and a dark powdered spice. On the palate, the sip is liqueur-like and intense, with a spicy citrus bitterness that extends persistently. The finish is balsamic, with notes of anise, medicinal herbs, cloves, and tea leaf, offering a deeper, more material interpretation.
Grotta dei Lamponi, Etna Rosato DOC 2022 Nerello Mascalese On the nose, the profile is essential and clean, with a clear almond note defining the wine’s identity. On the palate, this sensation translates into a direct, balanced sip, playing on precision rather than opulence, while maintaining coherence and expressive continuity.
Serafica Mirantur Rosso 2022 Nerello Cappuccio
On the nose, a bitter-edged red fruit develops, accompanied by talc and iris notes, with a peppery spiciness introducing a more vibrant dimension. On the palate, the wine is spicy and dynamic, with a progression alternating between tension and agility, maintaining an incisive and recognizable character.
Compared to Mirantur Rosso, the aromatic profile here is softer and more fruit-driven, overall more delicate, with a subtle presence of oriental woods and spices adding roundness without overpowering. On the palate, the sip is more relaxed and less nervous, with a more accommodating texture that favors balance and continuity.
Versante Sud Etna Rosso DOC 2021 Nerello Mascalese
Here the expression becomes more rigorous. On the nose, spicy and bitter notes emerge, with a balsamic component anticipating the tension of the sip. On the palate, the wine is tighter, with a livelier tannin that dries the finish more decisively, rendering the progression more vertical and austere, with a dry and persistent close.
Oils Tasted
01 – D.O.P. Monte Etna 100% Nocellara Etnea from a single parcel at 1,000 meters above sea level.
On the nose, it expresses herbal notes accompanied by a deep sense of freshness. On the palate, the oil is taut and decisive, with a precise balance between bitterness and pungency that conveys energy and verticality, closing on a clean, savory persistence.
03 – Organic 100% Nocellara Etnea from organically farmed groves located between 400 and 800 meters.
On the nose, the profile is intense and natural, with notes of olive leaf, fresh almond, and Mediterranean herbs. On the palate, it shows a rounder structure compared to the D.O.P., while maintaining a lively progression, with well-calibrated bitterness and a pungency that accompanies without overwhelming.
04 – Tradition Blend of Nocellara Etnea, Carolea, and Biancolilla.
On the nose, the blend reveals a more harmonious and nuanced expression, in which the character of Nocellara Etnea intertwines with softer, gentler notes. On the palate, the oil is balanced and fluid, conceived to enhance the raw material.
Etna, Beyond Definitions
Etna is a territory understood by walking on its black soils, by feeling the wind suddenly shift direction, by watching the light reflect off ancient lava flows. Those who have never been there often struggle to grasp its complexity, because Etna does not lend itself easily to storytelling, nor can it be reduced to a single image. It is a land that escapes definition: following its contrasts, broken lines, and sudden transformations of the landscape is enough to understand that here nature reveals itself in all its forms, from the most gentle to the most imposing. “It is a place where everything that nature has that is great, everything that is pleasant, everything that is terrible comes together, and Etna cannot be compared to anything.”
Yet there is a way to approach this reality: by tasting the work of those who truly believe in this land, who accept its instability and interpret its slow, severe rhythm. Over time, and through its fruits, the authentic character of the volcano emerges, not as a simple geographical expression, but as a living, changing, and unrepeatable identity.
🔗 Learn more about Serafica Terra di Olio e Vino 🌐 www.serafica.it
