Cavanera Ripa Scorciavacca
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2025
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled sea bass, pasta con le sarde, lemon-herb roasted chicken
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the high-altitude slopes of Mount Etna, Firriato's Cavanera Ripa Scorciavacca is a striking expression of volcanic viticulture. Grown at approximately 650 meters above sea level on the northeastern side of the volcano, the vines thrive in dark, mineral-rich soils composed of decomposed lava, ash, and pumice. The intriguing name 'Ripa Scorciavacca' refers to a historic local path, a steep and rugged ridge where the sharp volcanic stones made it notoriously difficult for livestock to traverse. This white wine is crafted from indigenous Etna varieties, capturing the intense solar radiation of Sicily combined with the dramatic diurnal temperature shifts of the active volcano. Vinified in stainless steel to preserve its pristine varietal character, it undergoes sur lie aging to develop complexity, resulting in a wine defined by vibrant acidity, flinty minerality, and elegant floral and citrus notes.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1984 by Salvatore Di Gaetano and Vinzia Novara, Firriato has grown to become an architectural pillar of contemporary Sicilian viticulture. The estate stewards hundreds of hectares across Sicily's most ecologically distinct macro-zones: the sun-drenched, clay-limestone hills of the Trapani countryside (such as Baglio Sorìa and Borgo Guarini), the maritime Quaternary calcarenites of Favignana Island, and the high-elevation volcanic sands of Cavanera Etnea on Mount Etna. Viticulture is entirely certified organic and managed under a pioneering zero-carbon-impact philosophy. In the cellar, temperature-controlled stainless steel vinification preserves high-toned aromatic freshness, tension, and native varietal typicity before selective maturation in stainless steel or neutral wood. Firriato's white wine portfolio champions indigenous and naturalized cultivars—predominantly Grillo, Catarratto, and Zibibbo—yielding benchmark expressions like the saline, maritime-influenced Favinia La Muciara, the organic Caeles series, the floral Jasmin, and the radiant, naturally sun-dried Favinia Passule.
🍇 Grapes
Carricante, Catarratto
🍷 ABV
12.5-13%