I Vigneri

History

I Vigneri was founded by Salvo Foti, one of the central figures in Etna's modern revival and a winemaker who had previously worked closely with Benanti during the period when that estate helped reintroduce the volcano to serious wine attention. Rather than build a conventional estate, Foti structured I Vigneri as a cooperative of local vignerons, reviving an older model of collective vine cultivation that had existed on Etna before industrialization reshaped Sicilian agriculture. The name itself references the historical brotherhoods of vine workers who once managed the mountain's terraced gardens. The project is explicitly a cultural as much as a viticultural endeavor, aimed at preserving the old Etnean farming systems, the alberello training method, and the genetic diversity of the island's ancient vine stock. Foti remains the guiding figure, and the wines are produced under his direction in collaboration with the member growers who tend the vineyards.

Vineyards

The vineyards are concentrated on Etna's northern and eastern flanks, with holdings that include sites around Milo on the eastern slope, an area producing whites of notable mineral definition. Altitudes are high by Sicilian standards, with many parcels sitting well above 600 meters and some considerably higher. Soils are volcanic, predominantly lava-derived with varying degrees of ash and mineral decomposition depending on the age of the flows. The vines are trained in the traditional Etnean alberello (free-standing bush vine) method, ungrafted and pre-phylloxera in many parcels, some of which hold century-old or older plants. These massale-selected, ancient vines are central to the project's identity. Farming is conducted without synthetic herbicides or pesticides; the commitment to organic and low-intervention viticulture is consistent across the collective, though formal certification details are not universally documented.

Winemaking

Foti's approach in the cellar follows the same logic as the vineyard work: minimal intervention, indigenous yeasts, and a preference for vessels that do not impose flavor. Fermentations are typically spontaneous. Aging vessels vary by wine, with neutral large oak and concrete both in use; new oak is avoided. The range spans both Carricante-based whites (the Etna Bianco Superiore from Milo being among the most scrutinized) and Nerello Mascalese reds from multiple contrade. The Vinupetra and Viticentenarie bottlings represent the upper tier of the red range, drawing from specific old-vine parcels. Palment Caselle takes its name from the palmento, the traditional Etnean stone pressing facility, signaling a connection to pre-industrial methods. Wines are generally unfined and unfiltered, or very lightly so, and bottled with minimal sulfur additions. The entry-level Aurora and Primavera whites and the Radica and I Vigneri reds serve as the accessible tier, while the single-site and old-vine bottlings represent the full expression of what the collective's oldest material can produce.