Welcome to Episode 6, "Benanti’s Etna: old vines, new perspectives" on ⁠The Old Vine Conference Podcast⁠. Cynthia Chaplin sits down with a twin tour de force, Salvino and Antonio Benanti of the iconic Benanti winery on Etna started by their father Cavagliere del lavoro Giuseppe Benanti.

Today’s discussion is all about Benanti’s indigenous vines; and the grapes that are harvested by hand, Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, and Carricante. The brothers speak about the autochthonous yeasts and the ungrafted pre-phylloxera vines, which vary between 95-115 years old. They also discuss the business aspect of winemaking on Etna and what the region needs for ongoing success.

To learn more about ⁠The Old Vine Conference⁠, please visit us at www.oldvines.org and follow us on instagram: @ouroldvines.

More about Salvino & Antonio Benanti:

Antonio and Salvino were born at the foot of the Etna volcano, in Catania, Sicily, in May 1974. After enjoying their childhood in Sicily, Antonio and Salvino left to attend school in Switzerland and the UK. After many years spent abroad, the brothers returned to Sicily for good and started working alongside their father (until his passing in 2023), a visionary of many interests and talents. The brothers assumed leadership of the winery in 2012.

The Benanti family can proudly claim to be one of the pioneers of Etna’s winemaking, instrumental in its viticulture throughout history, contributing first hand to its evolution.

Learn more:

Website:https://www.benanti.it/en/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benantiwinery/

About the host Cynthia Chaplin:

Cynthia Chaplin is a Vinitaly International Academy certified Italian Wine Ambassador, a professional sommelier with Fondazione Italiana Sommelier and the Worldwide Sommelier Association, a member of Le Donne del Vino, and a Professor of Italian Wine and Culture.

She is the Host of VOICES covering DEI in the wine industry every Wednesday for Italian Wine Podcast and a contributing author and editor for the recently published Wine Democracy (2022) and Italian Wine Unplugged 2.0 (2023). She has her own consulting business, Cynthia Chaplin Wine, and she works with Vinitaly International as Project and Events Manager, WSET Certified Educator, Editorial Manager and Coordinator of Vinitaly International Academy.

Learn more:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/kiss_my_glassx/⁠

⁠https://www.facebook.com/people/Italian-Wines-in-English/100036868372598/⁠

⁠linkedin.com/in/cynthia-chaplin-190647179⁠