Hiding among the vegetation, between an olive garden and a lovely vineyard is Borgo Giallonardo, Giuseppe Fanara’s personal gamble: he is a (Sicilian) notary who decided to dedicate his time and money to rediscover the old local traditions. “Our family has a long history of land owners that passed their properties and knowledge on for generations – Giuseppe tells us –People like me live busy fast-paced lives, so I felt the need to rediscover the countryside life-style: to stop and think, to truly appreciate a slow-paced lifestyle”. Therefore Borgo Giallonardo, mainly a farm but also wine and charm relais, is a special place surrounded by nature that allows you to rediscover the taste of the countryside, to slow down and connect with the elements.
“Starting off my business was somehow a natural process too, as I was only looking for traditional ways and methods to produce oil and wine”. Today the business, in fact, only produces 3’500 wine bottles that are made only with the best bunches of grapes, selected one by one aiming to perfection. And what’s the result? An extremely high-quality product, produced in an completely homemade style, avoiding the use of any machine or chemicals in the process. The crushing is done by hand and the yeasts are produced by the grape itself so that the costs for sulphites is zero. “Creating all this was no easy task, that’s why I decided I wanted a real expert to follow the production: the Sicilian enologist Tonino Guzzo”.
The next step was to invest in tourism creating rooms and spaces for visitors inside the Borgo: small rooms and spaces welcome all those who are looking for a true rural experience. This is why all the guests at Borgo Giallonardo can help out in the common orchard and pick up its products. They can also take part to the olive and grape harvest and, most of all, enjoy delicious food tastings of our products: freshly baked bread, fresh olive oil and local cheeses. Our guests can also follow all the steps of the production of our products experiencing the meaning of living and working in the country. On top of all that, the guests can also enjoy a relaxing walk by Percorso Natura, a long trail that will take them to discover more than 20 different species of plants and herbs. After this lovely walk those who wish so can even train in one of the little fitness areas.
“Sometimes people think you’re crazy when you decide to spend your money for something like this – says Fanara – I’ve never been a business man, but I think that what really matters in life is to be able to do what you feel it’s right, regardless of the economic outcome. I’ve invested in my territory, the place where I’d like to raise my children. In this way I’m trying to build something for them, a reason to stay, instead of running away like many do now. But I also see this as a chance to give a second life to the place where I was born and to do so we need to start by acknowledging its value, respecting and safeguarding it in our everyday choices”.
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