Quality and Tradition

Wine has been produced on the slopes of Mt. Etna since 4000 BC. Etna’s wines were often cited in Greek mythology for their special powers to heal and relax. In Homer’s Odyssey, legend has it that it was an Etna wine that Ulysses offered to Polyphemus, the one-eyed Cyclopes, to lull him to sleep. The Greeks called this region Enotria, the Land of Wine.

Around 250 years ago J.W. Goethe wrote that “Sicily is the key to everything” and the way he described Mt. Etna attracted some German winemakers to visit our region and experiment with local grape varieties. While it is not entirely accurate to call Etna wine a “new” phenomenon, it is certainly true that today Mt. Etna wines are considered among the finest in the world.

Does Size Matter?

About 10% of Italian wineries and vineyards have plots of land measuring just one hectare or smaller. The market globalisation is pushing towards creating and strengthening both medium-sized and large wineries. This has, therefore, moved impact and power over to distributors, and large retail suppliers. Under these kind of conditions, it has become more and more difficult for small and extremely small companies to survive due to a lack of critical mass and economies of scale concerning production.

The "global market" requires mass production of a "standard" product that is consistent through each and every different vintages, and allows producers to offset fixed costs which often compromises the quality of the wine. Basically, wine today is becoming less of an artisanal product and much more industrial.

While making a quality wine for a small winery is theoretically still possible, marketing it at a sustainable price has become extremely challenging. Today, thanks to social media, Fleuretna was created under the idea of having direct contact with our customers and creating a fan base that shares our values and supports our vision of making exceptional quality local wine that reflects our volcanic region and traditions.