About Winery and Wines
We only grow local vine varieties, from which we obtain cru from our “heroic vineyards”. Our wines are heroic because they are the product of an extreme viticulture, performed in demanding and wild areas at high altitude, in precious patches of land which have been safeguarded during the centuries from the devastating volcanic eruptions, or in plots on steep slopes of ancient extinguished craters. We operate following the teachings of the ancient Etnean agricultural traditions, that keep on living thanks to the passion and the perseverance of many brave winemakers. That’s why we aim at extraordinary wines, precious fruit of our toil and of our unshakable love towards our volcano and its vine varieties.
IIn the past centuries, the farmers of Bronte and Maletto cultivated small patches of land in a very fertile area on the North-Western slope of Mount Etna, at 1100 meters of altitude, called Contrada Nave. Contrada Nave, that once was part of the duchy of Horatio Nelson, Duke of Bronte, owes this name to its shape, that resembles a ship. For others, the Contrada’s name originates from a very ancient myth, according to which the God Adranòs obtained from there the chestnut wood he needed to build his ships. To work the Contrada’s soil one needs a deep knowledge of the climatic changes that take place there and of the plants most suited to the altitude and exposure of its territory. That’s the reason why, through the centuries, farmers have selected the plants and vine varieties that fit in better, obtaining fruits of extraordinary taste. The Nave was a wonderful garden, full of small orchards, vineyards and olive groves. However, large part of this heritage was lost over the course of the years. Many generations passed, involved in other interests. Lots of lands were abandoned. The Government compensations to the farmers for explanting their vineyards did the rest. Our mission at SantaMariaLaNave is to protect the viticulture in this wonderful territory and pass it on to the future generations.