Cantoneri
Cantoneri was founded in 1997 when Carmelo and Rosa Assennato purchased a rustic villa in Solicchiata surrounded by a plot of land with an old vineyard known as "Tenuta della Dainara", and therein lies the beginnings of a story that anchors the Cantoneri wines to the land where they are now produced.
Loosely translated, 'tenute della dianara' means an estate inhabited by deer and so the label which now adorns each of their wines bears a stunning graphic of these noble animals pointing to a bygone era when the Norman Kings of Sicily used to hunt them on the northern slopes of Etna where the winery now stands.
Similarly, the winery takes it name from the family's ancestral property in the Enna area and is, specifically, a reference to Carmelo's father and his three brothers, who were notably tall, and so were given the nickname the "quatro cantuneri" meaning they were as tall as the four corners of a building and so their lands were colloquially known as the "land of the the four cantoneri". A story which is embedded into the wineries logo with the four pillars connecting the past with the present.
The winery is, however, far from being stuck in the past and is a relatively new enterprise with the winery only been productive since 2011. The land itself stretches between 650 and 700 meters above sea level for approximately 20 hectares, with 11 hectares being vineyard.
The soils on which the vineyards are built are of a sandy loam nature with a variable presence of pyroclastic and fossil material helping the winery to produce complex and harmonious wines.
The indigenous grape varieties are Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Carricante and Catarratto; although, in a small portion of land, the winery is experimenting with aromatic varieties from different parts of Europe, which contribute, together with a base of Carricante and Catarratto, to producing the wineries hallmark and innovative Orange Wine.The viniculture is of the highest level and ensuring that the best growing methods are used for each variety, so, for example, the Nerello vines are cultivated with spurred cordon (except for the old plants, which are trained as saplings) whereas Carricante and Catarratto is trained partly with spurred cordon and partly with saplings.
Three great Etna wines
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Tenuta Della Dainara Orange
An aromatic and elegant wine from the slopes of Mount Etna. Macerated on the skins for at least 3 months then matured for 6 months in 3rd passage French oak barrique.
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Tenuta Della Dainara Etna Bianco
This wine is expressive of the terroir and possesses typical of the mineral, saline and citrus notes produced at altitude amongst the volcanic rock and ash of Mount Etna
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Tenuta Della Dainara Etna Rosso
Often likened to a Burgundian Pinot Noir in terms of the colour and red fruit nature, yet with much more salinity and minerality. Matured for 12 months in 700 and 500 litre French oak tonneau.
