Cantina Russo

The winemaking tradition of the Russo family has been handed down from father to son until today.
Towards the end of the 1800s the great-great-grandfather Vincenzo Russo dedicated himself, together with the family, to the cultivation of his own vineyards located in the Solicchiata area, in the Municipality of Castiglione di Sicilia at about 700 m/asl on the north east side of Etna.
In 1955, Francesco and Vincenzo, respectively the son and grandson of the great-great-grandfather Vincenzo, decided to bottle the wine produced by the family vineyards by creating a small cellar. The first wine was called Solicchiata and it was 1956; D.O.C. certification Etna was recognized in 1968, the same year in which the brand changed its name to Rusvini until it reached today's brand which is Cantine Russo.
Today the fourth generation is represented by Gina and Francesco Russo who together with their father Vincenzo manage the historic family business.

The winery, surrounded by its own vineyards, is located right at the foot of the largest active volcano in Europe, on the north-eastern side of Etna. The vineyards extend between 650 and 1000 m above sea level, in the districts of Crasà, Piano dei Daini, Rampante and Pietramarina in a dry and well-ventilated area, with notable temperature variations between day and night during the ripening period of the grapes . The different volcanic substrate characterizes the vineyards depending on the district in which they are located. The Crasà vineyards are unique because the volcanic earth was mixed with a clayey sediment from the pre-Quaternary period: this soil has a different structure and a slightly higher pH compared to volcanic soils of more recent lava origin which have a lower pH and a stony structure called "Ripiddu" in Sicilian. In the Etna area there are substantial microclimatic differences between one area of the volcano and another, due to the particular position of Etna and its morphology. The territory, the microclimate, the volcanic earth rich in minerals, together with the peculiarity of the native vines, favor the production of unique wines. Etna wine, in fact, was the first Sicilian table wine to obtain the recognition of the Controlled Designation of Origin (D.O.C.), as it is the result of a long winemaking tradition, among the oldest in the world.

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