AZIENDA AGRICOLA SCIARA

“Stef Yim’s impressive Etna wines […] one of the most interesting producers from this exciting wine region.” – Jamie Goode – Wine Anorak

Founded in 2015 by Stef Yim, Azienda Agricola Sciara is one of Mount Etna’s most compelling young estates — built on altitude, instinct, and hand-farmed volcanic ground. A former Los Angeles sommelier turned winemaker, Stef arrived on Etna in 2014 and now farms nine contrade across the volcano’s northern and southern slopes, including Contrada Cielo — planted by hand in 2019 at 1,520 metres, making it Europe’s highest vineyard.

The name Sciara refers to the volcanic scoriae that mark Etna’s slopes, echoed in the estate’s labels and its philosophy: wines conceived around altitude rather than single contrada, grown on 100% volcanic soil, farmed without machinery or chemical inputs, and certified organic from 2023. In the winery, there’s no fixed method — just minimal intervention, no fining or filtration, and SO2 kept below 30mg/litre at bottling.

Small volumes, old vines, and one of Etna’s most exacting reads on volcanic terroir.