Idda, Bianco, Sicily, Italy 2021

“The Idda 2021 Sicilia Bianco is all Carricante. The wine is generous and medium-bodied in texture with lots of apricot, Golden Delicious apple and quince. It feels supple on the palate, with pretty fruit weight, and there are citrusy aromas to close. What I like best is the richness of the mouthfeel and the long silky sensations that this volcanic white wine imparts.”-93WA, 2022-2028

IDDA is a joint venture between Angelo Gaja and Alberto Graci on Mount Etna that started in 2017. The Graci family is a prominent winemaker in the region. 

The vineyards are located on the southern slope of the volcano, with a wide range of altitudes, exposures and soil types.  Today, the winery owns 50 acres of vineyards at 2,000-2,600 feet above sea level, in the villages of Belpasso and Biancavilla. 

The new winery will be built in Belpasso, ready to welcome its first harvest in 2023. Until then, the wines will continue to be made in Alberto Graci’s facility in Passopisciaro in the north slope. 

“IDDA” means “she” in the Sicilian dialect, which is the term local residents use to refer to the Etna volcano. The wines’ labels are evocative of multiple aspects of the local terrain such as the colors of the lava and of the sea, the tridimensional altitude of the mountain and the terraces of the vineyards. The spiral is an ancient symbol that captures cyclic continuity, expansion and development.