Blog – a story of wine, food, Sicily & travel

Travelling with a family at times can be challenging but rest assured that Sicily offers many attractions that can be enjoyed by families with children of any age at any time of the year.   SICILY’S ART-SCENE Art in Sicily is not only the classics, this region offers extraordinary contemporary installations… and in some of […]

Anyone who has grown their own vegetables will know how satisfying this activity can be. Well, I have recently discovered the next best thing… foraging! I wonder if some of the satisfaction comes from an antique instinct that we still hold in our DNA. Whatever it is, it’s addictive! My first wild asparagus (two shoots) […]

Sicily has a garbage problem. Although it is home to some of the world’s most spectacular historical and natural legacies and boasts an impressive inventory of UNESCO heritage listed sites, yet there is a year-round garbage problem in many these locations. It is an all-too-common scene and I fear that too many have become just […]

Monday 4th April saw the closure of the 2022 edition of Le Contrade dell’Etna. The Contrade is an amazing show case for the wines of Etna. It is a remarkable opportunity to meet with the people behind the labels and taste wines from wineries, big and small; longstanding and new. This year the event was […]

Sugarcane, Shellfish & Spirits Walking into the lab, at the Giovi distillery, I immediately felt like I’d been missing out on something my whole life. Something tremendously exciting, something extremely creative. Shelves and benches are crammed with jars and bottles containing experimental brews. Exotic herbs and spices suspended in amber liquid. A mini alembic constructed […]

What does James Bond have to do with Calabrian salsiccia? A curious coincidence – the 007 producer, Albert Broccoli’s parents were from Carolei, the tiny, picturesque town, close to Cosenza, in which the Pulice brothers produce their salamis and cold cuts.   Francesco greets us at the door and while Alberto organises coffee for us, […]

  When Frank Sinatra sang ‘Fly me to the Moon’ I am certain that it was not Mount Etna on his mind and yet this is the song that played in my head when I flew over Europe’s highest active volcano.     I arrive at the helipad a few minutes earlier than my flight […]

There is a popular saying that you will hear throughout Italy: ‘Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi’. Christmas with the family, Easter with whoever you please. …and indeed, the Easter weekend is usually dedicated to nature walks, BBQs, picnics and day trips to visit antique towns or places of interest, rigorously to be […]

  INGREDIENTS 2 medium size calamari (squid) – sliced into rings (rinsed and dried) 1 largish white zucchini                – diced Pinch of chili flakes 2 garlic cloves green olives to taste                      – better if without stone capers to taste                                – prefer non salted capers 1 small Spanish onion 1 glass of white wine                     […]

Slowfood Catania organised an interesting event during Vini Milo, dedicated to two of Etna’s native grapes: the white Carricante and the black Nerello Mascalese, these grapes grown on Etna produce complex wines that age well, but what happens when they are transplanted to elsewhere in Sicily?   Oenologist Salvo Foti, owner of the I Vigneri […]