A wine that has become a symbol of Mount Etna, born from a single plot of land and from a vision pursued consistently over time. An expression of place, elegance and depth, selected by Wine Spectator among the very finest wines
April 10, 2026 (Catania, Italy) — For the ninth year, Benanti is among the leading wineries at OperaWine, the flagship event celebrating excellence in Italian wine, once again confirming the winery’s role as a benchmark in the appreciation and promotion of the great wines of Mount Etna.
OperaWine, Finest Italian Wines: Great Producers Selected by Wine Spectator, the exclusive event organised by Veronafiere and Vinitaly in collaboration with the US magazine Wine Spectator, will take place this year on Saturday 11 April at the Gallerie Mercatali and will officially precede the opening of Vinitaly.
For the 2026 edition, Benanti presents Rovittello Particella No. 341 Etna DOC Rosso Riserva, vintage 2015, a flagship expression of the appellation and a compelling synthesis of high altitude viticulture, volcanic soils and contemporary sensibility.
The wine comes from a single selected plot on the northern slope of Mount Etna, in the Rovittello hamlet of the municipality of Castiglione di Sicilia, a historic and particularly well suited area characterised by ancient lava soils, high elevations and significant significant daily temperature range variations.
Since 2015, production has been limited to the centenarian pre phylloxera vines of the small plot in Contrada Dafara Galluzzo, at 750 metres on the northern slope of Mount Etna. The wine is made from Nerello Mascalese (95 percent) and Nerello Cappuccio (5 percent), grown on sandy volcanic soils rich in minerals and trained as bush vines, with low yields per hectare.
Harvesting is carried out by hand in the last ten days of October, followed by fermentation in stainless steel using indigenous yeasts and extended maceration. Maturation takes place in French oak barrels for approximately 24 months, followed by a further 12 months of bottle ageing. In the glass, the wine shows a ruby red colour with garnet hues, offering ethereal aromas with floral notes and ripe fruit. On the palate it reveals elegance, tannic structure, minerality and a long, persistent finish.
Benanti’s presence at OperaWine, which each year selects a limited number of producers regarded as iconic, represents further recognition of the substantial work carried out by the historic Sicilian winery in safeguarding and enhancing the Mount Etna territory, long before it became one of the most celebrated wine districts on the international stage.
With Rovittello Particella No. 341 Etna DOC Rosso Riserva, Benanti invites journalists, trade professionals and wine enthusiasts alike to discover a wine that tells the story of Mount Etna in its deepest dimension: a narrative shaped by geological layers, agricultural culture and absolute respect for its place of origin.
ABOUT BENANTI
Regarded as one of the most prestigious wineries on Mount Etna and with a stake held by Brave Wine, the holding company founded by entrepreneur Renzo Rosso, Benanti is widely recognised as a pioneer of excellence in Etna viticulture. It was among the very first to grasp the importance of zoning and is the only winery that, by selecting grapes from the areas historically best suited to their cultivation, produces wines from its own vineyards located on all four slopes of the volcano: Contrada Calderara Sottana and Contrada Dafara Galluzzo on the northern side, Contrada Rinazzo on the eastern slope, Contrada Monte Serra to the south east and Contrada Cavaliere on the south western side.
The winery’s philosophy places respect for tradition and the identity of each site at its core, with a production approach that expresses the complexity and elegance of indigenous grape varieties such as Nerello Mascalese, Carricante and Nerello Cappuccio.
