“Carricante was born in Milo,” Mr. Foti said. Even the rule-enforcing bureaucrats have recognized Milo’s affinity for carricante, the best white wine grape on Sicily: Etna Bianco, made with a minimum of 60 percent carricante, can be produced throughout the Etna grape-growing regions. But Etna Bianco Superiore, a higher level of quality with a minimum of 80 percent carricante, can come from only Milo.

If you’ve never heard of carricante, and if you thought Etna only produced reds, you are no doubt in good company. Eastern Sicily, including Etna, is dominated by red wines. Yet the whites, made primarily if not entirely of carricante, may be even more distinctive. The best carricantes, like Benanti’s Pietra Marina, are profoundly savory, with a striking saline flavor. In a word, salty.

Salty wine? It may strike some people as bizarre. But the carricante wines can be unmistakably saline, particularly those from the Milo region, and that is only part of their appeal.

Depending on the vintage, Pietra Marina, which I believe is one of Italy’s best whites, can be rich and concentrated with great minerality and herbal and citrus flavors. It can age well, too. Over time, it can take on a kerosene quality reminiscent of aged riesling, but it never loses its lip-smacking succulence. It’s balanced, refreshing, distinctive, complex and delicious. The wines are high in acid and low in alcohol.