Founded in 1988 by Giuseppe Benanti, Benanti Viticoltori is widely recognized as a pioneer of modern fine winemaking on Sicily's Mount Etna. Now managed by his twin sons, Antonio and Salvino, the estate was the first winery to cultivate vineyards across all four slopes of the volcano, focusing exclusively on indigenous varieties like Carricante and Nerello Mascalese.

In 1995, Benanti began collaborating with the Vacirca family in Contrada Cavaliere, a high-elevation site near Santa Maria di Licodia on Mount Etna's southwestern slope. Perched up to 950 meters above sea level, this vineyard features 50-year-old Guyot-trained vines rooted in mineral-rich, sandy volcanic soils. Its extreme altitude, low rainfall, and dramatic day-to-night temperature swings allow Carricante grapes to ripen slowly, yielding wines of striking precision and vibrant minerality