For us, the Etna harvest is a little like Christmas. It is one of the most magical times of the year: the moment we thank nature for its fruit, with the promise of carefully turning it into a moment of happiness for you. Our wine, a symbol of togetherness and the joy of living.
The Etna harvest is now in full swing here at Contrada Martinella, on the northern slope of the volcano. Here is what the 2026 harvest looks like, what happens to the grapes once they are picked, and how you can experience it with us.
Long days, full of joy
These are days of hard work: crates to fill, rows to walk one after another, grapes to bring to the winery while they are still fresh. But they are also days full of happiness, shared with everyone who works alongside us: a true family, chosen among the vines of Etna.
The people who harvest with us are much more than an extra pair of hands. They know these vines, they recognise a bunch that is ready and they know when it is worth waiting one more day. Every year we start again with them, and every year they remind us why we do it.
Contrada Martinella: yes, it really is that beautiful
And yes, Martinella is a truly beautiful place. We are in Linguaglossa, on the northern slope of Mount Etna, among bush-trained alberello vines and lava-stone terraces that tell centuries of farming history. Here the grapes grow on a unique volcanic soil that gives our wines their character.
If you want to know why this soil is so special, we have written more about it in The soil and the Etna wines and Terraces of the Etna.
From vineyard to palmento: what happens to the grapes
Bush-trained vines cannot be harvested by machine: the grapes are picked by hand, bunch by bunch, and reach the winery in crates. From there they go into the destemmer, which separates the berries from the stems. It is the first step of the journey that will turn them into wine.
In the cellar we intervene as little as possible. We work according to the principles of organic and traditional farming, let fermentations start spontaneously and make wines that are naturally low in sulphites. That is our idea of wine: let the grapes, and the land they come from, do the talking.
What this harvest will become
With the time and patience they need, the grapes of these weeks will become the wines you may already know:
- Rossobrillo, our Nerello Mascalese red, made to be shared joyfully;
- Rossobrillo Naked, our first red wine with no added sulphites;
- Neromagno, the king of our labels, from seventy-year-old Nerello Mascalese vines;
- BollaMater, our traditional-method sparkling wine from Nerello Mascalese;
- Biancopiglio Rock, our white from Carricante, Catarratto and Grecanico Dorato.
Join us for the harvest on Mount Etna
The harvest only lasts a few weeks, and seeing it up close is something you will not forget. On our Grape Harvest on Mount Etna experience you can walk among the vines, learn about Etna’s volcanic soils, take part in the key moments of the harvest and discover the Palmento Martinella. The experience ends with a tasting of our wines, together with the story of the land and its native grape varieties.
If your dates do not match the harvest, you will find all our other experiences on our Etna wine tours page. And to learn more about wine travel in this area, read our article on wine tourism on Etna.
See you at Contrada Martinella. Cheers, and happy harvest!
