This small estate on the northern slope of Mount Etna was recently established by Marco de Grazia, owner of the nearby Tenuta delle Terre Nere.
“Establishing Le Vigne di Eli – Marco says – was effortless. A simple act of love towards my little daughter Elena (Eli). It happened in 2006. I was offered first one, then another, tiny vineyard, both in exceptional crus: Feudo di Mezzo and Moganazzi-Voltasciara. I bought them, and since the parcels were so small and fine, I was somehow reminded of Elena. Thus, Le Vigne di Eli was born”.
“To use Elena’s drawings as labels came naturally – Marco explains – because I love her art work. And equally naturally came the impulse to have this “child’s estate” be a help to children in need. Thus a substantial part of the small proceeds go to a childrens’ hospital, the Ospedale Pediatrico Meyer in Florence. With this, the “children’s project came full circle. “
Today, seeing the growing appreciation for Eli’s very fine wines, we keep on selecting more tiny parcels of outstanding quality, contracting them, and releasing a bit more very fine wine. This includes a lovely Etna Bianco from a tiny vineyard in the Moganazzi sub-zone. And in the future I know I’ll surely be tempted by other precious little parcels. We’ll just have to wait and see.