Almond wine

Birthplace of Almond Wine “Il Blandanino” an Elixir of Love …

Almond wine Il Blandanino is a wine produced with zibibbo grapes, a white berried grape of the best Sicilian qualities, flavored in infusion with Bitter Almonds, Herbs, Citrus Essences, Caramel and Natural Flavors.

The inventor of Vino alla Mandorla is notoriously Don Vincenzo Blandano, founder of the first restaurant in Castelmola, the Bar San Giorgio, named in honor of the patron saint of Molise, then called Antico Caffè San Giorgio only later. Since the times when Sicily was dominated by the Greeks, it was customary to flavor local wines by infusing them with regional fruits in order to conserve and make known to other peoples the aromas and smells of their land. Thus, following an ancient tradition, Don Vincenzo created his unique elixir, which they have tried to imitate from time to time but which no one has equaled.

It was precisely in the early 1900s, among the various infusions prepared, that Don Vincenzo Blandano, using the ancient Greek infusion techniques, created the Almond flavored wine which he called “Il Blandanino”, a mysterious dark amber liqueur in which different smells and flavors of his Sicily.

According to his culture of hospitality, he used to offer his elixir to all visitors, guests and patrons of his establishment. Even today this tradition resists, the Blandanino is offered to guests from all over the world at the Antico Caffè San Giorgio.

Each place in Castelmola has its own production but the authentic and original almond wine will always remain “Il Blandanino” which stands out from other productions precisely for its dark amber color and strong, intense and persuasive taste of almonds. Visitors can grasp the difference, tasting this elixir of love from Mr. Blandano at the Antico Caffè San Giorgio, bringing as a souvenir a unique flavor that embodies Sicilian perfumes.

Tasting a glass of good almond wine “Il Blandanino” in Castelmola is like savoring the very essence of these places, of the sun and the land that created it, of the centuries and traditions by which it has been kept, of its creator and the passion of the men who made him great.

And now… imagine being in the early 1900s… immersed in the scent that envelops the room and surrounded by a breathtaking view… sitting at the same table where famous people such as Ford, Rockefeller, Peyrefitte sat to admire the marvelous Ionian coast.. order an Almond Wine and enjoy the sweet and enveloping taste of the symbolic drink of Castelmola, born here, right in this historic Café.