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About Winery and Wines
I Custodi are the guardians of Mount Etna’s vineyards—preserving the land, upholding traditions, and respecting the people who cultivate it. From these core values and a deep love for a land where vines were first introduced over two millennia ago, the wines of I Custodi are born. Each bottle reflects the generosity and minerality of Etna’s volcanic soil, the cool embrace of the Muntagna, and the radiance of the Sicilian sun.
Vines of all ages thrive densely on ancient dry stone terraces, supported by traditional chestnut-wood stakes. Cultivation follows the time-honored practices of I Vigneri, skilled Etnean winegrowers who work entirely by hand, ensuring harmony with the surrounding environment. This is winegrowing as it has always been on Mount Etna for centuries—without synthetic chemicals, in full respect of the people, the landscape, and the natural world.
For millennia, Etnean viticulture has been celebrated in ancient legends, travelers' accounts, works of art, poems, and historical narratives. The unique microclimate and the fertile volcanic soil of Mount Etna create an ideal environment for vines, shaping wines that carry the essence of this extraordinary land.
Since the time of the Sicels, over three thousand years ago, vines and wine have been at the heart of life on Mount Etna. From antiquity to the 20th century, the gestures and techniques of the vintners have remained remarkably unchanged. Wine presses, still in use until recent times, closely resemble those described by Cato in 160 BCE. The alberello training system (bush-trained vines), introduced over 30 centuries ago, continues to define the landscape, maintaining the quincunx planting pattern, where each vine is equidistant from its neighbors—a tradition cherished by both the Greeks and Romans.
At I Custodi delle Vigne dell'Etna, this historical and cultural heritage is preserved and honored, ensuring that each bottle tells the timeless story of Etna’s viticultural tradition.
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