Benanti Wines at Stoneburner by way of Mount Etna
There's a Volcano Behind Every Glass
If you've been following what's happening in the wine world over the last two decades, you've heard the name Etna whispered with increasing reverence. Mount Etna, an active volcano rising from the northeastern corner of Sicily, has become one of the most dynamic wine regions on earth. And at the center of that story, before the word was out and the importers came calling, there was one family: Benanti.
We're proud to be pouring four of their wines right now at Stoneburner, as it parallels the ethos and philosopy we hope our wine list embodies.
An Island Within an Island And the Family That Mapped It
Winemaking has run in the Benanti family's veins since the late 1800s, rooted in Viagrande on Etna's slopes. But it was Giuseppe Benanti who formally established the estate in 1988, embarking on what would become a years-long study of Etna's soils, microclimates, and ancient native grape varieties before ever bottling a drop for commercial release. That kind of patience and rigor is rare. It's also, what some say, is exactly what the region required.
Etna, often called "an island within the island," is unlike anywhere else in Sicily — or anywhere else in the world, for that matter. The volcanic soils are mineral-rich, sandy, and wildly complex. The altitude (vineyards climb from 450 to over 900 meters above sea level) creates a cool mountain climate in the middle of the Mediterranean. The vines are trained in the ancient alberello (free-standing bush) style, many of them pre-phylloxera and ungrafted. They are said to produce fruit of astonishing concentration and precision.
Benanti's vineyards span four different slopes of the Etna volcano — north, east, south-east, and south-west — each offering its own distinct expression of the mountain's character. The estate produces exclusively from three native grape varieties: Carricante for whites, and Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio for reds and rosé. No international varieties.
After more than two decades building not just a winery but an entire regional identity, Giuseppe passed the torch to his sons Antonio and Salvino in 2012. They've continued the work with the same obsessive terroir-focus that defined their father's vision.
"Mountain wines from a Mediterranean latitude." — Antonio Benanti
That phrase captures something essential. These aren't the lush, sun-baked wines people associate with Sicily. They're taut, mineral, alive — wines that reward slow sipping and good conversation.
Now Pouring
2024 Etna Bianco DOC
Made from Carricante grapes grown on the eastern and southern slopes of the volcano, the 2024 Etna Bianco is where most people fall in love with this region. Fermented in stainless steel on the fine lees, it shows up in the glass with a pale yellow color and greenish tints — and then it opens up with vivid aromas of apple, citrus, and subtle mineral depth. On the palate, it's dry, crisp, and saline, with a long, satisfying finish that keeps pulling you back.
One sommelier called Benanti's Etna Bianco "the white wine to end all white wines" — and while we'd say that's a strong claim, we understand the impulse after the first sip.
Pairs beautifully with: Oysters, crudo, grilled fish, our wood-roasted vegetables, any pasta with seafood or light cream sauces.
2022 Contrada Cavaliere Etna Bianco DOC
Step up from the estate Bianco and you land in Contrada Cavaliere, one of Benanti's five specific contrade (historic vineyard districts) — this one located in Santa Maria di Licodìa on the southern slope. A single-vineyard Carricante of notable complexity: saline and grassy on the nose, with white peach, yellow apple, and dried lemon on the palate, held together by powerful currents of acid and mineral salinity. Richer and more textured than the estate Bianco, but never heavy — it has what one critic described as "a phenolic tension" that gives it real presence.
Pairs beautifully with: Scallops, fish, pastas.
2019 Pietra Marina Etna Bianco Superiore DOC
This is Benanti's crown jewel, if you will. A Carricante grown in the Rinazzo contrada on Etna's eastern slope, fermented with the estate's own isolated proprietary yeasts (the result of a five-year study), then aged in stainless steel with extended lees contact for approximately 30 months, plus another year in bottle before release. The result is a wine of extraordinary depth.
The 2019 arrives silken and mineral, threaded with tarragon and abundant salty minerality. Its acidity is lively and vivid. Critics note that Pietra Marina is a wine that keeps evolving for decades, somewhere around the ten-year mark, its mineral-citrus core opens into something musky, herbal, and deeply complex, with notes that evoke "walks along the seaside." We’re a-okay with this.
You're tasting it at seven years old. It's already something special. Imagine what it'll be at fifteen.
Pairs beautifully with: Anything from the sea.
2021 Etna Rosato DOC
Made from 100% Nerello Mascalese grown on the south-eastern slope, this rosato is everything a serious pink wine should be. After hand-harvest in early October, the grapes undergo 12 hours of pre-fermentative cold maceration before a gentle soft-pressing — a process that draws out beautiful salmon color and preserves aromatic delicacy. Floral and fruity on the nose (think broom blossoms, blackberry, cherry), then dry, saline, and mineral on the palate, with a lightly tannic grip and a long, red-fruited finish. It's a rosé built with the same rigor as the whites and reds, and it shows.
Pairs beautifully with: Salmon, pork chop, our TAGLIARINI!
Why Benanti, Why Now?
At Stoneburner, we gravitate toward wine that has a story, producers who understand their land and express it without apology. Benanti is a perfect fit. They set the trend for an entire region. They didn't follow the market; they created one.
The wines on our list right now represent the full range of what Benanti does best: from the bright and saline entry-level Bianco to the profound, age-worthy Pietra Marina. It's a complete conversation with a single mountain, across a single family's lifetime of dedication.
Stoneburner is located at 5214 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle. Reservations and walk-ins welcome, as always.
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