Calabretta

For four generations, the Calabretta family has grown grapes in accordance with the centuries-old traditions natural farming methods of Etna. The mountain itself is omnipresent with the vineyards criss-crossed by volcanic stone walls. The volcanic soil of the area, combined with the dramatic temperature differential from day to night, yield grapes of singular expression. Calabretta’s vineyards have evolved naturally so that the vines are intermingled with olive trees and fruit orchards—theirs is a vineyard truly in touch with its surrounding environment.

The company and family are deeply rooted in this land; they were already producing and exporting large quantities of wine in the early 1900s. At the same time, the town of Passopisciaro developed to accommodate the many peasants who were arriving en masse looking for work. The many small producers that emerged as a result mean that today, a century later, Etna is renowned for its wines of character and tradition.

In 1997, Massimo & Massimiliano (son & nephew of Salvatore & Concetta), built a new winery and started to bottle and sell the Calabretta wines all over the world. Today, they continue to make wines of Etna Rosso and Etna Rosato but have also experimented with new single-variety wines, including Climax and Contrada varieties.

Our Relationship

I wish I had a better story for meeting Massimiliano Calabretta, but it was a simple treasure hunt. I used to get the NY Times and always read the Wednesday wine section. At that time, in 2012, Mount Etna was all the rage with Somms in NY and San Francisco and I was curious about the depth of "old school" producers. The list of "best producers" came out and I saw Calabretta. Having heard the name in reputable producer circles before I decided to look them up... the only thing I really "discovered" is how challenging it is to find a producer who teaches in Genova and makes wine on some of the oldest vines in Etna on monthly trips to his family farm.

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