Passopisciaro - Vini Franchetti

Contrada‑focused viticulture on the northern flank of Etna

Passopisciaro is Andrea Franchetti’s wine project on the northern slope of Mount Etna, centred around the village of Passopisciaro. The estate comprises roughly 26 hectares of vineyards spread across multiple lava flows and contrade, and since Franchetti began restoring plots around 2000 it has become synonymous with a precise, contrada‑driven approach to Etna wines.

A contrada is a small, precisely defined vineyard plot with its own name and distinctive terroir traits such as soil, altitude and microclimate. Winemakers often manage and vinify contrada parcels separately to preserve the unique flavour expression of each place. Contrada labelling therefore communicates direct origin, authenticity and often higher quality.

Precision in parcels and volcanic terroir

Franchetti bought abandoned terraces and an old cellar on Etna’s north‑facing slopes and set about systematically restoring and replanting historic plots. His interventions gave a major impulse to the modern renaissance of Etna viticulture and made Passopisciaro a benchmark for wines that translate the volcanic landscape into the bottle.

The vineyards of Passopisciaro are dispersed across several contrade with different lava flows and soil textures. Notable plots include Rampante, Sciaranuova, Guardiola, Porcaria and Chiappemacine. Each parcel has been carefully mapped and the cru wines are bottled separately to preserve the specific signature of their substrate and microclimate.

“I wanted to create a cuvée of Nerello Mascalese from all the contradas of Passopisciaro as an homage to this magnificent earth, to the years that have passed, and to the future that awaits us.” — Andrea Franchetti

Terroir and climate Soils range from fine, powdery volcanic ash to coarse gravel and solid lava slabs depending on how the flows cooled. The north slope provides relatively cool daytime temperatures and cold nights during the growing season, resulting in slow ripening, pronounced acidity and marked mineral character. This combination yields wines with restrained extraction but heightened finesse and aging potential.

The Passopisciaro recipe

The focus is on the indigenous Nerello Mascalese, complemented by selections of Nerello Cappuccio and a few international varieties such as Chardonnay and Petit Verdot for specific cuvées. Franchetti works with high planting densities, low yields and strict parcel selection. Vinification is deliberately restrained: fermentation and élevage are applied to enhance fruit purity, tannin finesse and terroir mineralities, producing some parcels as precise, linear wines and others as more concentrated, contrada‑specific expressions.

Franchetti signature

The signature is distinctive: pale colour, precise mineral drive, pure fruit and refined tannins. The wines offer both immediate drinkability and ageing potential and represent a modern, terroir‑driven interpretation of Etna. Passopisciaro is highly regarded internationally and is often cited as an example of how meticulous parcel work and volcanic terroir combine to express what makes Etna unique.