{"id":624,"date":"2026-03-19T08:49:24","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T08:49:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/steeplejackwine.com\/?p=624"},"modified":"2026-06-25T17:22:05","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T17:22:05","slug":"pietradolce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/steeplejackwine.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/19\/pietradolce\/","title":{"rendered":"Pietradolce"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][dsm_image_carousel gallery_ids=”626,627,636,637″ slide_to_show=”1″ speed=”800″ pause_on_hover=”on” space_between=”10″ arrow_color=”#893727″ dots_active_color=”#893727″ dots_inactive_color=”rgba(137,55,39,0.2)” slide_to_show_tablet=”1″ slide_to_show_phone=”1″ slide_to_show_last_edited=”on|tablet” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” width=”90%” width_tablet=”80%” width_phone=”80%” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/dsm_image_carousel][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n

Sicily\u2019s Mount Etna is one of the hottest and fastest-growing wine regions in all of Italy. Its vineyards sweet across the mid-slopes of Europe\u2019s most active volcano and are divided into 142 subzones called contrade<\/em>. Although Etna\u2019s modern era began in the 1980s, its winemaking history goes back thousands of years to the earliest Greek colonists.<\/p>\n

This deep-rooted heritage, combined with significant investment from Sicilian producers as well as vintners from mainland Italy, Europe and America, has fueled a remarkable revival on the mountain. The Faro family were early leaders of this viticultural renaissance on the volcano, establishing Pietradolce on Etna\u2019s northern slope in 2005.<\/p>\n

Seventy years ago, Michele Faro\u2019s grandfather farmed a few acres of vines on Etna\u2019s southern slope, making wines for his family and friends. Though the family sold the vineyard, Faro\u2019s parents, Venerando and Carmela, started a horticultural business in Catania that has become one of Sicily\u2019s largest, raising and exporting Mediterranean plants to all parts of the world. Michele earned a degree in agronomy and worked for the family business, but in 2005 he decided to follow his passion for wine and began looking for vineyards on the northern slope of Mt. Etna, around the village of Solicchiata.<\/p>\n

Etna\u2019s slopes were covered with albarello-trained vines that date back to an era when production was booming on the volcano. Until the early 20th<\/sup> century, Etna remained a major center of wine production, but with the advent of world wars and economic downturns, many of these ancient vineyards were abandoned and their stone terraces left to crumble. When Michele began his vineyard search in 2005, it was relatively easy to find excellent pre-phylloxera vineyards. \u201cPeople still did not fully understand the value of those vineyards and of our terroir,\u201d he recalls.<\/p>\n

That has changed dramatically over the last two decades as the quality and popularity of Etna wines, along with vineyard prices, have soared. Pietradolce now owns 84 acres of vines, and all of the fruit for their single-contrada wines comes from pre-phylloxera, bush-trained vines, some up to 120 years of age. Such ancient vines are naturally low-yielding, limiting Pietradolce\u2019s production to around 90,000 bottles a year\u2014which is just what Faro prefers. \u201cPietradolce is a boutique winery, and I want to keep it like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pietradolce grows only native Etna varieties like Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio and Carricante. This focus, along with the estate\u2019s wealth of old, high-altitude vines have led to a set of wines that consistently express Etna\u2019s unique volcanic terroir.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][dsm_faq dsm_accordion_gap=”4px” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” header_font_size=”16px” closed_header_font_size=”16px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][dsm_faq_child dsm_title=”White Wines (all 100% Carricante)” dsm_content=”<\/p>\n