The red wines from Etna DOC have taken the wine world by storm in recent years. The elegant and flavourful nerello mascalese grape from the mighty and very active volcano is an exciting new acquaintance. Etna is now so famous that vineyard prices have risen radically compared to other Sicilian wine regions. For many wine drinkers, Etna is synonymous with Sicily.
Thanks to all this, the producers at Etna now think they deserve a DOCG, Italy’s highest classification. They have applied, and it is believed that processing will take around two years. Etna received its DOC in 1968, the first on the island. Sicily currently has only one DOCG. The relatively unknown Cerasuolo di Vittoria wine is made from frappato and nero d’avola grapes.
Today, there are around 75 different DOCGs in Italy. G stands for guaranteed (garantita). Sometimes, the DOCGs have somewhat stricter rules than the DOCs. It is not always easy to understand why specific wine regions are upgraded to DOCG. It is often about having a long tradition in the area. Many DOCGs are extensive, such as Chianti DOCG, with prices ranging from a few euros to several 100 euros. DOCG should be seen as a designation of origin, just like DOC, rather than a quality designation. But it is the highest designation, so, of course, Etna wants it.
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