Carricante is a native white grape of Mount Etna in Sicily and the heart of Etna Bianco, one of Italy's most exciting white wines. It makes taut, mineral whites with lemon, green apple and a salty, smoky finish, and they can age for many years.
Carricante has been grown on the slopes of Etna for centuries. Its name is thought to come from carricare, "to load", a reference to the generous crops it gave. Until the late twentieth century it was little known outside the area; the revival of Etna since the 2000s has made it one of the most sought-after white grapes in southern Italy.
Carricante is grown almost only on Mount Etna, mainly on its eastern slopes, around Milo, Zafferana and Sant'Alfio, where vineyards climb to around 900–1,000 metres and catch moist air from the Ionian Sea. Smaller plantings are found on the southern and northern slopes and, more recently, elsewhere in Sicily.
The soils are dark, sandy and volcanic, rich in minerals and free-draining. Altitude and the cool, often rainy eastern side of the volcano give the grapes slow ripening and very high acidity, a rare combination in Sicily.
Carricante is often blended with Catarratto and small amounts of other local white grapes.
Young Etna Bianco is sharp and citrusy. With five to ten years in bottle, the best develop honey, hazelnut and a petrol-like note often compared to aged Riesling, while keeping their freshness. Producers often avoid the softening malolactic fermentation to preserve this acidity.
Start with an Etna Bianco DOC from a reliable producer such as Benanti, Graci, Planeta, Tenuta di Fessina or Firriato. To taste the grape at its most intense, look for an Etna Bianco Superiore from Milo. Because it ages so well, Carricante is one of the few Italian whites worth buying to keep.
Carricante shares Etna with the red Nerello Mascalese and is often blended with Catarratto. Read our best Etna wines, the Sicilian wine guide, or browse the grape varieties index.