Giulia Monteleone: "Etna is undergoing a redevelopment, everything is planned to become a great terroir in the world."
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August 23, 2026
Giulia Monteleone
The Palermo winemaker who arrived on the volcano ten years ago shares her vision and plans. The whites will surpass the reds, and she tells the Consortium: "Let's increase Carricante yields per hectare." And then: "My first market will be between New York and California..."
Hype, cool, skill. Giulia Monteleone talks about Etna, using the words of the world she operates in: that of a young producer from Palermo, who has been traveling internationally for years and has made direct contact with those who sell and talk about her wines part of her job. The English words aren't a fad: they speak of a generation of winemakers who think of the volcano with a much broader perspective than the Sicilian one. Today, she produces over 40,000 bottles on the volcano, in a cellar built three years ago in the Cuba district. "Seven hectares in total," she points out. We're located between the north and east slopes.
Giulia Monteleone, who arrived on Etna in 2017, on the eve of her tenth harvest, has a precise picture of the current situation the area is experiencing. "I think it's going through a bit of a reorganization, a reorganization, so to speak," she begins in this interview with Cronache di Gusto , which follows the one with Ciro Biondi and the one with Marco Nicolosi Asmundo . "It's certainly the area in Italy, and certainly in Southern Italy, that's generating the most buzz abroad."
"But after the hype comes the time for confirmation," he continues. "I believe that now we all, all producers, must really step up and make consumers understand that Etna is no longer simply a cool place to make wine, but has ambitions and all the credentials to be a great classic," he emphasizes. "Just like the Langhe or Montalcino."
To do this, according to Giulia Monteleone, it's first necessary to clarify: "I fear there's also a lot of confusion about the labels on the market. Some wines are considered questionable and certainly don't help everyone understand how Etna can truly produce wines of the highest quality, of great precision and elegance. The problem, however, isn't the energy that continues to flow into the volcano. That, in fact, is a richness. It's also the beauty of the area: it's such a vibrant, truly volcanic land, where so many enthusiasts, sometimes with no skill whatsoever , embark on entrepreneurial winemaking adventures," she explains.
The point is that enthusiasm must be transformed into wine. "On the one hand," he explains, "it's beautiful, and in my opinion, this is something we shouldn't completely dismiss, because it's still a vibrant region, one that continues to attract small investors, young people who want to launch themselves into the world of wine. But on the other hand, we also need to market products that match this passion and ambition."
Because the risk, especially abroad, is immediate. "If I, as a consumer, unfamiliar with Etna, am unfortunate enough to begin my exploration of the area with two or three incorrect labels," he says, "it's clear I could get the wrong idea about the denomination."
The price and the quality
The issue of prices must also be considered within this restructuring phase. Giulia Monteleone doesn't hide her concerns when faced with bottles of Etna that sell for over one hundred euros. "Sometimes, especially when you drink blind, you're truly disappointed. Etna viticulture is heroic, extremely expensive. Almost all operations are carried out manually, and especially in the ancient vineyards, one hundred percent of the work is done manually. So there's a production cost issue that's five, six, or seven times higher than in other areas, and this is a reality."
For producers who have already demonstrated their ability to make great wines, therefore, high prices are legitimate. "It's right that Etna should be given the dignity of other territories and that there are labels with high prices. But not everything is worth it. There are also many wines with somewhat complex prices," he observes, noting that those bottles then remain on the shelves for a long time: "So it's clear that it doesn't work commercially either..."
The future speaks white
Regarding the future of the denomination, Monteleone has an equally clear idea: the Etna white is destined to grow, likely surpassing the red in terms of volume. "In my opinion," he argues, "there will be a core of great Etna Rossos, of quality and prestige, and then a greater volume of Etna Biancos, even simpler, more drinkable. But without 'forcing' the Carricante, which needs time."
His experience also bears witness to this. "Five years ago, I sold 70 percent red and 30 percent white, now I'm almost at 60 percent white and 40 percent red. It's almost reversed." The growth of the white wine industry is already evident in the numbers, especially on international markets. But for Monteleone, quality remains essential: "A Carricante from my terroir should truly have at least six to nine months of bottle aging, if not twelve, which would be ideal."
And a proposal has been made to the Consortium specifically regarding Carricante: increasing yields per hectare. "In my opinion, 95 percent of a hectare is a low yield, considering the productivity of Carricante, which produces very high quality at 110 quintals."
The reason is almost entirely in the name: "Carricante is called Carricante because it's a productive variety. Today, however," she says, "sometimes grapes have to be left on the ground during the harvest or the product has to be downgraded when yields are exceeded. It's a shame." In short: Giulia Monteleone understands the logic of those who want to maintain a balanced market, but believes that the denomination should also take into account the characteristics of the variety.
New York and California
Her stance on Etna's future also stems from her practical experience in the markets. Her company currently produces around 42,000 bottles, and the United States is its most important market, with New York and California leading the way. But conquering a market isn't simply about finding a distributor. "You have to be present, know your customers, and team up with salespeople," she emphasizes.
For Monteleone, even a bad day on the market can be a good day. "Sometimes," he says, "representatives get embarrassed and say, 'I'm sorry, it was a terrible day.' And I always laugh and say, 'Absolutely not.' For me, it's more important to work as a team, to be here, to have lunch together. I'll talk to you about the wines, I'll talk to you about the region, and tomorrow you'll go to market with a different energy and knowledge."
Because, ultimately, "they are our primary commercial ambassadors." It's a philosophy that also explains why Monteleone has no intention of chasing volumes. "I absolutely don't want to increase production. This year, I'll maintain last year's numbers, if I can." The plan is to consolidate, not multiply.
Today, there are six labels. "I don't plan on adding labels, especially since I've already reached six. I think it's fine for my company's numbers. It's better to focus on the crus. What I want to do is make crus of increasingly higher quality."
A large shared warehouse
If Monteleone were to choose a strategic investment for the Etna system, he wouldn't choose a new bottle. He'd choose infrastructure. "It would be great, for example, if we could all work together to develop warehouses, shared spaces where we could store the bottles, because this is a problem we all face," he explains.
His idea is very concrete: "If I had €500,000 to invest in my company, I would immediately build a warehouse in a 1,500-2,000 square meter building area to share with five or six companies. A streamlined, easy-to-use structure that could aid logistics. We need to work together to solve a daily problem that affects many small wineries on the volcano."
“Wine tourism? I don't believe in it.”
Another area is wine tourism, on which Monteleone takes a clear stance. "I see a lot of improvisation in wine tourism here too," he says. "You can't open a house or even a wine cellar, prepare a platter of cured meats and cheeses, serve three glasses of wine, and then charge a significant sum, despite having experience that, in my opinion, isn't genuine; it adds nothing."
Monteleone says he conducted something of a personal experiment. "Ninety percent of the people I meet who say, 'I've been to Etna, I've been to wineries,' when I ask, 'Where have you been?' don't remember. They don't even remember their names unless they take out their phones and check where they've been and what wine they've drunk. So I only open my company on specific occasions. When there are groups, perhaps suggested by an importer of mine or an important client of mine, and there's a huge focus on wine, or there are professionals. Otherwise, no."
More quality, less improvisation
Ultimately, the conversation returns to where it started. Etna is undergoing a reorganization and must now decide what to become. Monteleone's recipe is simple: "Quality and minimal improvisation," he says. "Projects that make sense and invest in the local area. This doesn't mean everyone has to immediately build a large winery or own hectares of vineyards. Not all of us can afford to build a winery overnight. It's right that there be progression over the years and over time, and that we strengthen our entrepreneurial skills."
But one thing, for her, must be there from the start: "The vision." And the vision, ultimately, is that of an Etna capable of definitively moving beyond the stage of discovery and into that of consecration. "More quality, more quality, more quality." One word, repeated three times. Because, according to Giulia Monteleone, Etna "now has all the credentials to become a great classic of world wine."
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