Born from an unprecedented partnership between the legendary Piedmontese pioneer Angelo Gaja and visionary Sicilian winemaker Alberto Graci, IDDA represents an adventurous exploration of Europe’s highest active volcano. Established in 2016, the estate encompasses high-altitude vineyards planted between 600 and 800 metres above sea level across the villages of Belpasso and Biancavilla. While most prestigious producers crowd the northern face of Mount Etna, this project deliberately champions the relatively unexploited southern slopes. Here, the vines thrive on ancient, weathered lava flows and highly oxidised volcanic soils from the prehistoric Ellittico period, where small, ground-down pebbles and low fertility force the roots deep, imparting a distinct mineral signature to the fruit.
While Mount Etna is traditionally celebrated for its light-coloured red wines made from Nerello Mascalese, this collaboration takes a brilliantly unorthodox approach by focusing heavily on Carricante, the mountain’s noble indigenous white grape. Gaja and Graci firmly believe in the bright global future of volcanic white wines, utilising the intense sunshine of the southern slopes to achieve perfect fruit ripeness while harvesting early to preserve a piercing, Alpine-like acidity. In the cellar, the liquids are treated with absolute precision. The white wines undergo gentle fermentation and are aged on their fine lees in a combination of stainless steel tanks and large, seasoned oak casks to build a creamy, textural weight without overpowering the delicate smoky flint, sea salt, and citrus flavours.
The inspiration behind the estate is deeply rooted in local culture and a mutual respect for winemaking and artisanal winemaking. Angelo Gaja’s fascination with the region was originally sparked in the late 1990s by his close friend, the legendary oenologist Giacomo Tachis, but the dream only became a reality after a chance meeting with Graci in 2015. The name they chose for the venture pays direct homage to the volcano itself; in the native Sicilian dialect, locals affectionately refer to Mount Etna simply as 'IDDA'—meaning 'She'—viewing the smoking peak as a fierce, unpredictable, yet intensely generous mother. This energy is beautifully reflected in the estate's striking spiral labels, which visually track the expanding altitudes and terraced landscapes of this spectacular volcanic sanctuary, now fully vinified at their state-of-the-art Belpasso winery.