Mount Etna's 135 registered wineries occupy slopes between 400 and 1,000 meters, where vines root directly into stratified lava flows deposited over the past three millennia. The volcano's eighteen microclimates and mineral-rich volcanic ash produce Etna DOC wines—predominantly Nerello Mascalese and Carricante—that express terroir with forensic precision: north-slope reds carry mountain herb and pomegranate tones, while eastern estates yield whites with saline minerality and citrus acidity. Commercial viticulture returned to these slopes only in the 1990s, after phylloxera and urbanization had reduced the region's 60,000 pre-1880 hectares to fewer than 1,500. Indigenous bush-trained alberello vines, many over a century old, now anchor a renaissance. The DOC classification, granted in 1968 and revised in 2011, defines four sub-zones—Etna Rosso, Etna Bianco, Etna Rosato, and Etna Bianco Superiore—each governed by altitude, grape variety, and aging protocols. Specialized wine tasting excursions on the volcano slopes typically combine winery visits with geological context. Half-day itineraries from Catania cover 40 kilometers of the southern and eastern flanks, stopping at two or three estates for vertical tastings and cellar tours. Guides trained in both viticulture and volcanology explain how lava flow topography channels drainage, how diurnal temperature swings preserve acidity, and why pre-phylloxera rootstock survives in porous basalt where it perished elsewhere in Europe. Many estates occupy reclaimed lava tunnels—natural refrigeration chambers that maintain 12–14°C year-round without mechanical cooling. Tastings pair wines with local preserves: sun-dried tomatoes, almond paste, pistachio cream from Bronte, and aged pecorino. Etna's vineyards lie within Parco dell'Etna, Europe's first volcano park, established in 1987 to protect 59,000 hectares of ecological and agricultural heritage. The park enforces strict land-use regulations: new construction is prohibited above 1,500 meters, and vine planting requires approval to prevent soil erosion on unstable slopes. Access to the park is free, though guided services on private estates and protected zones require advance booking. Most mt etna wine tours from catania operate between April and October, when road conditions permit reliable access to higher-altitude vineyards and when harvest activities—vendemmia—offer visitors hands-on immersion in traditional hand-picking and foot-pressing techniques still practiced on the steepest terraces.