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 A new challenge for the Etna-based Terra Costantino estate: after 5 years of arduous work in the terraced vineyards of Milo, the home of Etna Bianco Superiore, Contrada Praino is being released. This is a white wine made from Carricante grapes, which stems from the Costantino family’s desire to take on an up-and-coming terroir that is producing exciting results in the production of white wines. 

The company, which has already been active for many years in the commune of Viagrande in the Province of Catania, on Mount Etna’s south-eastern slope, has always stood out due to its meticulous care in the vineyard – assisted since 2013 by the experience and professionalism of Tuscan enologist Luca D’Attoma – and its production of wines of great character: from the fresh and appealing deAetna (in red, white and rosé versions) to the Contrada Blandano reserve wines and “Dino’s wine”, Rasola. 

«The vineyard at Milo already existed but it was shared with other crops and completely abandoned. We therefore decided to replant it with Carricante five years ago» explains Fabio Costantino, the owner of Terra Costantino. «As we already operated on the eastern side of the volcano, we wanted to give ourselves another challenge, testing ourselves in the production of a great white wine». 

 The vineyard is still young but has the potential to give very satisfying results. The vines are trained using the alberello (bush) system on the extremely steep terraces that look out towards the Mediterranean. They give rise to Contrada Praino, a refreshing wine with marked acidity which, in the words of the Costantino family, seeks to expressthe authentic essence of white wines from the volcano. 

Vinification takes place exclusively in the heart of the winery at Viagrande. Only stainless steel is used for this wine’s maturation, thus allowing it to express the typical character of Etna in its youth and also reflect the distinctive identity of the young vineyard. 

1400 bottles were produced of the 2022 vintage, the first to be released. Contrada Praino is intended to be a special gem in the estate’s range, arriving at a maximum of 8,000 bottles when the two hectares are in full production. 

Also, Terra Costantino has recently obtained Equalitas’ sustainability certification. The concept of sustainability is very varied and not always easy to pin down, because it encompasses numerous factors, of a social, environmental, and economic nature. 

This certifying agency leaves nothing to chance. It carries out controls and inspections at every stage of the production process, beginning with environmental sustainability. 

It then continues with socio-environmental sustainability, a phase during which cultivation, vinification and bottling methods are evaluated according to a code of best practices in the vineyard and in the winery.

Economic sustainability is also of fundamental importance, because a healthy business succeeds in sustaining itself, even with the help of investments. Various factors are examined: good corporate financial practices, for the benefit of both employees and suppliers. 

Last but not least, there is social sustainability, which defines the ways in which a company inserts itself in the social fabric of its area, beginning with its employees and including the local community as well. 

This is a very long process, which takes into account every minute detail, and which has led Terra Costantino to be able to describe itself as a sustainable company. 

«Our commitment is to always give our best, in order to produce something that is unique and utterly distinctive» concludes Fabio Costantino.