Tenuta delle Terre Nere

Marc de Grazia purchased Tenuta delle Terre Nere in the early 2000s. Within a few years, his single-vineyard reds had attracted a keen following around the world. Now his whites and rosés are also making waves.

The vineyards of Tenuta delle Terre Nere are situated on the northern slopes of Mount Etna. Comprising some 45 hectares, they are divided into 29 plots and nine crus. Most of the vines are aged between 50 and 100.

The search for authentic wines led to Sicily

Renowned wine importer and expert Marco de Grazia is the heart and soul of the business, having bought the winery in 2002. Always on the lookout for good, honest, authentic wine back then, Marco tasted a red from the Etna region and was smitten – not only by the wine itself, but by Etna’s volcanic landscape and its black soil underfoot. He proceeded to put his money where his mouth was, introducing an organic regime and quickly transforming the estate into a world-class producer.

Native varieties and pre-phylloxera vines

Marco grows the white grape Carricante as well as red grapes Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio. His main crus are called Calderara Sottana, San Lorenzo, Bocca d’Orzo, Guardiola, Santo Spirito, Moganazzi and Feudo di Mezzo. All the crus are vinified separately. Of the 11 hectares that make up the Calderara Sottana cru, around 1.5 hectares consist of exclusively hand-farmed pre-phylloxera vines that date back over 140 years and grow at altitudes of between 600 and 1,000 metres. The exceptional climate and the volcanic soils result in wonderfully unique, mineral-driven wines.

“I would like it to be said that our wines give joy. That, in all of them, lives something ineffable and beautiful that has the flavour of the right things.”

Marco de Grazia

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