Feudo di Mezzo winery completed

Feudo di Mezzo completed Planeta’s first phase of development on Mount Etna by providing a dedicated place to vinify fruit from Sciara Nuova, Montelaguardia and nearby vineyards. Carricante and Nerello Mascalese wines were already on the market, but the estate had previously lacked its own production facility.

Architects Gaetano Gulino and Santi Albanese collaborated with the Planeta family on the technical and stylistic design. Black Etna stone dominates the architecture. A stone wall insulates the winery and connects its modern structure to traditional local materials. The barrel room was designed as a modern, efficient space protected by an outer envelope of stacked volcanic stones, recalling the stones historically removed from vineyard soils.

The winery’s grape-reception area incorporated sorting tables and conveyors intended to minimize stress to the fruit. White grapes were assigned a pneumatic press and red grapes a modern vertical press. The planned range comprised two high-altitude wines from Sciara Nuova, an Etna Bianco D.O.C. associated with Montelaguardia, and an Etna Rosso D.O.C. associated with Pietramarina and neighboring vineyards. Conservative restoration of the old wine buildings at Sciara Nuova was then underway to create an estate hospitality venue.