Capofaro Locanda & Malvasia Malfa

Capofaro was born out of the love that the Tasca d’Almerita family have for wine and sea, a spectacular estate found on the island of Salina, designed for friends, guests and travellers of taste, providing the best in Mediterranean hospitality.

Capofaro is the culmination of Sicilian cuisine and the Tasca family’s gastronomic traditions, recreated in the restaurant’s kitchen with the best local raw materials, craftsmanship and the creative flair of a southern chef.

Capofaro, a member of the Relais & Châteaux association since 2017, is a place where you discover that luxury is natural beauty. Capofaro is the truest expression of Salina, a locanda surrounded by rows of vines reaching the sea, producing Malvasia, the typical wine of the island.

ROOMS
Twenty-seven rooms in total, each unique yet all with their own private terrace with a sea or garden view. The rooms are reigned over by the historic Anfiteatro vineyard, with its striking colours, seasonal changes and thrilling energy.

The rooms, of which there are five different types, are all of the minimal Aeolian architectural design; suite 21 is found at the highest point of the estate, with spectacular views it is the only suite equipped with an old working oven that can be used for private dinners.

THE LIGHTHOUSE
With its reassuring presence and charm of its warm glow, the Capofaro lighthouse has been standing on the promontory of Capofaro and watching over the sea since the mid nineteenth century.

From November of last year the Tasca d’Almerita family acquired this piece of island history, along with the desire to preserve and improve the structure. There are now six rooms and suites within this guardian’s lodgings, which overlook the cliffs and the splendour of the Aeolian sea, with the twins mountains of Salina behind it.

YESTERDAY AND TODAY
This lighthouse is the first sign for those arriving by night from the Tyrrhenian Sea, it is the northernmost lighthouse in Sicily, an island lighthouse, with a double reach light compared to his coastal brothers.

Luigi Salvatore d’Asburgo, an adventurous explorer of this corner of the Mediterranean dedicated beautiful pages of his travel diary to this lighthouse, which later provided the inspiration for the author Hugo Pratt in the creation of his comics Corto Maltese.

The position of the lighthouse, 100m away from the entrance of the Locanda allows guests to submerse themselves in an atmosphere of refined tranquillity and absolute relaxation.

RESTAURANT
Young Sicilian Chef Gabriele Camiolo along with his culinary brigade interprets the passion of the Tasca d’Almerita for good food, a deep and rich gastronomic history that combines the lessons of the “monsù” (cooks of the Sicilian and Neapolitan aristocratic houses) and the peasant knowledge of the ancient Sicilian fiefs, reaching up to the present day.

A journey of taste and ethics that goes through the concept of “short kilometer”: a system of gardens supplies 70 percent of the produces used in the kitchen. The ancient grains for bread, pasta and other genuine products come from Regaleali estate. Among these, the bread of Capofaro, awarded by the Gambero Rosso 2018 Restaurant Guide as “Best Bread on the Table” in Italy.

BREAKFAST
Breakfast at Capofaro is a chance for guests to explore Sicilian cuisine and its deep rooted traditions. In the kitchen, the day begins with the ritual preparation of fresh ricotta cheese and yogurt while Capofaro’s celebrated bread is baking. Typical Sicilian pastries such as bombe, graffe and sfinci are baked every morning by our pastry team, with the promise to delight all senses.

For the 2021 season, we have introduced three different breakfast journeys: Signature, Wellness, and Full Breakfast/Brunch. Each journey offers the opportunity to taste a bounty of Sicilian excellences, a great start for a great day.

MENU
Capofaro describes his idea of Sicily in the kitchen: traditional recipes and original creations are made with the knowledge of local ingredients from produce grown in our garden. Our bread, jam, ricotta, marinades and pickled vegetables are all made here in the Capofaro kitchen.

CHEF
“Being on the greenest and most agricultural island of the Aeolian Islands, surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, with the possibility of drawing on a luxuriant vegetable garden and a large group of passionate local producers like us, offers a variety of simple, seasonal dishes, with a very short supply chain and respectful of the environment. ”

Chef Gabriele Camiolo promises to find the trait-d’union between the story of typical Aeolian products and the gastronomic heritage of the Tasca d’Almerita family. This ancient yet very modern know-how is made available to guests who want to try their hand at culinary experiences with ingredients and recipes from the estate.

THE VINEYARD
As with every Tasca d’Almerita project the starting point in Salina was vineyards. When the property was purchased there was a six hectare Malvasia vineyard that had been in production for about thirty years; the best part was combined with the opportunity to grow additional Malvasia plants on the island; creating a vineyard that produces wines with enhanced aromatic qualities.

MALVASIA
Malvasia delle Lipari is the noble fruit of the Aeolian islands, the grape belongs to the category of aromatic wines, and is one of the many Malvasia varieties cultivated in Italy. For our Didyme bottle, the grapes are harvested early, resulting in a dry wine with good acidity, hints of aromatic herbs and floral notes.

Whereas if the fruit is harvested fully ripened and dried for a short time, the result is a truly excellent sweet wine. The Capofaro Malvasia grapes for our sweet wine are dehydrated in the shade, to maintain the fruit’s fragrance and elegance. Our winemakers undergo a gentle pressing of the grapes and the use of low fermentation temperatures, to extract and maintain the typical aromaticity of the grapes.

WINE
Capofaro is one of the five estates owned by the Tasca d’Almerita family, Caopofaro is home to the ‘Anfiteatro’ vineyard. Salina is of volcanic origin and its soil nurtures the Malvasia delle Lipari grape, a golden variety that yields the famous dry and sweet local wines.

A WALK IN THE VINEYARDS
At Capofaro you can experience working on a vineyard, from pruning to the harvest, as an observer or participating in person. From a walk around the vineyards accompanied by Capofaro’s sommelier, to actively working on the ancient plants. It’s a tactile experience of continuous discovery; for example guests will learn that at Capofaro there is no irrigation system, the plants seek a water source on their own.

WINE TASTINGS
Let us share with you the Tasca d’Almerita family passion for wine, and the story behind each bottle.For a complete and unforgettable Capofaro wine experience, we have created tastings of wines from across Sicily, produced by the Tasca d’Almerita family.

The Capofaro sommellier will guide you through the bottles recalling their story and the land where the grapes are grown, the tasting is accompanied with a pairing of appetizers made by chef Gabriele Camiolo and his team.

APERITIVO
Aperitivo at Capofaro – a must for any visitor to Salina – The restaurant’s terrace opens up to the sea and the view of Panarea and the active volcano Stromboli, which at night often spits out jets of incandescent lava. Behind you the sunset lights up the twin mountains of Didyme, green and imperious, the symbols of the island. All this while our resident DJ plays carefully selected music.

WINE ECOSYSTEM
The full immersion in an ecosystem linked to wine is the basis of menus where the dishes interact with the labels and the Tasca d’Almerita estates. Tasca d’Almerita have been cultivating the land with care and passion for eight generations.

Today they manage five estates in five distinctive territories across Sicily: Regaleali, their family home, Tascante on Mount Etna, Whitaker on Mozia Island, Sallier de la Tour in Camporeale, Capofaro on Salina Island. Tasca d’Almerita’s love for wine is splendidly complemented by their flair for hospitality, with Capofaro being a bright testimony of it.

THE MARINA AND MALVASIA MICROMUSEUM
The Marina and Malvasia Micromuseum narrates the historical and cultural heritage that intertwine throughout the history of the island of Salina, its economic development based on the production of Malvasia delle Lipari and the foundation of the Marina thanks to the lighthouses which for centuries have protected strategic human settlements and the territory.

SEA
Daily trips to explore the islands of the archipelago by sea can be arranged, nautical excursions can be organised to meet the requests of our guests.

BOAT TRIPS
Nautical excursions can be organised to meet the requests of our guests, from scuba diving to evening trips to the volcanic island of Stromboli. We can arrange outings around Salina and the other Aeolian islands, with a cold bottle of wine and a gourmet picnic prepared by our chefs. Let us plan the whole day for you, with trusted local skippers and boats of different models.

LIDO GHARB
Guests at Capofaro have access to a pebbled private beach whenever they want an alternative to a day at the pool. The beach is fully equipped with lounge chairs and umbrellas from June 1st to September 30th. There is a free shuttle service from Capofaro.

APERITIVO AT POLLARA
The village of Pollara which became famous thanks to the film ‘Il Postino’ provides a spectacular view of the sun setting over the Tyrennian sea. Our chef Gabriele Camiolo and sommelier on request will prepare a picnic basket with everything needed for a romantic aperitivo to savour as you take the time to watch the sun disappearing into the sea.

THE AEOLIAN ISLANDS
The Aeolian islands are a UNESCO world heritage site due to their outstanding record of ongoing volcanic activity. Lipari, Vulcano, Salina, Alicudi, Filicudi, Panarea and Stromboli: the seven “sisters” with a millennial history that rise from the Tyrrhenian Sea, about forty kilometres from the north-eastern coast of Sicily.

The islands, a symbol of uncontaminated nature, have been inhabited since prehistory; Greek legend states that the Aeolian islands were created by Aeolus, the God of the wind.

SALINA
The ancient name of Salina, “Didyme” is from the Greek “twins”, referring to Salina’s two mountains, it’s these extinct volcanos that give the island its unique profile. The island is known mainly for the production of Malvasia and capperi di Salina; a Slow Food presidium, its abundant vegetation is the richest among these islands, attracting many bird species to Salina.

EXPLORE THE SEA
A crystal-clear sea and high dark rocky cliffs with lush vegetation: exploring Salina by yacht or fishing boat, is a breath-taking experience, which reveals the secret coves and allows to dive into the uncontaminated sea. Salina is located at the center of the archipelago: it is possible to organize daily excursions by boat or hydrofoil to the other islands.

EXPLORE THE LAND
Panoramic trekking paths lead to the nature reserve of the Montagne delle Felci and dei Porri, here visitors can observe numerous plant species, take a breath of forest air, and observe – from the highest point of the Aeolian Islands – Eleonora’s falcons, shearwaters, other pelagic birds and awesome views that span from the Sicilian coastline to Mount Etna.

Rooms: 27

Price: from 279 EUR per night

Source: www.capofaro.it