FEDERICO GRAZIANI

Having found his passion for wine and the hospitality industry at the age of fifteen, Federico Graziani has spent most of his life dedicated to the grape. In 1998 he was named best Italian sommelier by the Italian Association of Sommeliers, earning him respect and renown in the Italian hospitality and winemaking industry. Graziani went on to obtain his degree in Viticulture and Oenology and started a new chapter in his life as a winemaker. He was drawn to Etna by the distinctive and complex characters of the wines and began by purchasing a small century-old vineyard in Passopisciaro that was about to be uprooted. Graziani works closely with Salvo Foti, one of the most widely respected producers in Etna, to purchase new vineyards and craft his wines. He is also part of Maestranza dei Vigneri, a guild of winegrowers in Etna dedicated to preserving the tradition and environment of Etna through the use of non-interventionist vineyard and winemaking practices.

The vineyards are located at the foot of Mt. Etna, between 600 and 1,200 meters above sea level, on the northern and north-western slopes. This is a special place with its own unique ecosystem featuring remarkable climatic variability and a variegated landscape teeming with life. For the past 2000 years, people here have been growing vineyards in small plots of land reclaimed from the mountain, living in symbiosis with the volcano and adapting to the power and unpredictability of its elements. This is slow and ancient work, carried out by hand with toil, passion, and respect. Federico Graziani honours these traditions by crafting wines that are expressive, profound, and unequivocally Sicilian.

Federico Graziani is a person who, with constancy, dedicates his life to the world of wine thanks to his infinite passion and curiosity.

In the 90s he started working in the restaurant business as a sommelier after obtaining his diploma. Later in 1998, he won the national competition for the best sommelier in Italy which led Federico to work in prestigious restaurants, some of which are part of the Italian historical haute cuisine.

The desire to learn more about the wine world sees Federico undertake a course of university studies in Viticulture and Oenology. In 2006 he graduated and met a key figure for the start of his Etna wine project, Salvo Foti. Salvo Foti is an important Sicilian winemaker, also recognized as a pioneer of Etna wines.

In the same year of graduation, Federico made a trip to Etna to deepen his knowledge of the wines of this territory and try to find out what made them unique. The coincidence of the case meant that, during his stay, he learned of a centenary vineyard in the hamlet of Passopisciaro (a historic and excellent place for the vineyard) which was destined to be uprooted. The great love for wine led him to buy that land and years later, thanks to the help and support of friends and colleagues, he produced his first wine Profumo di Vulcano; marketed since the 2010 vintage.

Federico’s winery is located on the slopes of Etna, in the town of Randazzo. A beautiful rural context that influences and makes the wines from this area special.

The wineries vineyards are located on the north and northwest slopes at an altitude between 600 and 1200 meters above sea level. The vines are exposed to a microclimate that favors the quality of the grapes produced: the daily temperature range is about 25 ° C, a fundamental factor in the production of excellent wines. The type of soil of volcanic origin certainly positively influences the final wine, with different characterizing elements such as ash, sand, and pumice.

The vines are grown according to historical methods used on Etna, namely sapling cultivation. The same applies to the varieties planted, there are the traditional ones: Nerello Mascalese and Cappuccio, Alicante, Francisi, Carricante, Minnella, and Grecanico. The vineyards are cultivated in the best municipalities and areas, here defined Contrade as Feudo di Mezzo, Montelaguardia, Moganazzi. From here are born three wines, the classic Etna Rosso, Rosso di Mezzo, and the spearhead Profumo di Vulcano.

Furthermore, Federico also owns a vineyard in a very extreme and inaccessible territory, over 1200 meters above sea level, where only some types of grapes can grow such as Carricante, Grecanico, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Chenin blanc. The white wine that is born is called Mareneve, coming from the Contrada Nave.

Wine has always been at the center of Federico’s attention and through studies and works, he has been able to get to know it better under different interpretations. I believe this is one of the greatest advantages he has today as a winemaker, leading him to produce excellent, sincere, and territorial wines. Federico’s vision faithfully represents the Etna territory, enhancing its peculiarities from other wine areas.