The Wine Routes

Mount Etna and river Alcantara together in a felicitous union of water and….wine

The Etna wine routes cross at the heart of Alcantara Park. Wine has been representing a precious source of income in this area for a long time: Greeks were the first to import the grapevine cultivations to Sicily and nowadays there are several wine cellars in this mythical area deriving from water and fire.
Along the territory there are many testimonies of the ancient so called "palmenti", basins made by digging the rocks and used to crush grapes. In the last decades, thanks to an increasing local commitment, there has been a large growth in the wine production.
Castiglione di Sicilia and Randazzo, that are Municipalities of the Alcantara Park, belong to the Wine Cities Consortium.
In this area, thanks to the characteristic weather conditions, it possible to produce the Etna DOC. The wine is produced with four grape varieties: Carricante, Catarratto, Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio.
Thanks to the territory's particular bent for wine the municipality of Castiglione also houses the Regional Enoteca's head office.
The Enoteca will represent a further opportunity to enhance both wine production and the "Wine Routes", also making the wine-and-food local tourism strengthen.