The history of Spumante wines from Etna starts in the area of Adrano, where the Castle of Solicchiata is located. Its merloned towers in neogothic style still today dominate terraces of vineyards and the surrounding wood. It is the South-West slope of the volcano, outside the production area of Etna Doc wines, between the municipalities of Biancavilla and Adrano. Etna Spumante Barone di Muglia was the first classical method produced in the Etna area with Black Pinot grapes.
Immediately after its birth at the Castle of Solicchiata, in order to make sales easier, it was decided to change the name of this Etna Spumante into “Etna Champagne”. Felice Spitaleri di Muglia, Baron of Solicchiata, (pioneer in winemaking art and the first official supplier of the Savoia Royal House) had started with two kinds of spumante wines based on Pinot nero, with small additions of White Pinot and Pinot Chardonnay: the first in a dry version, on the market since 1871, was renamed “Etna Champagne – Gold brand”; the second, called “Etna Champagne – extra dry” entered the market in 1872, and it can be considered the first Italian spumante wine from Black Pinot grapes in extra dry version.
Source: “Thousand years of history of Etna wines”, pag. 253 253