The Winery Golden Bubbles of Sicilia of Sicile

An alleged investment fraud scheme claimed to broker loans between investors and ‘high net worth’ fine wine collectors, with expensive bottles purportedly held in storage as collateral, US authorities said this week. Prosecutors filed an indictment in a New York federal court charging two British men, Stephen Burton, 57, and James Wellesley, 55, with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy in connection to the scheme – which was allegedly perpetrated through their compa ...

Andrea Franchetti, one of the most talented and visionary Italian producers, has died at the age of 72 in Rome. In 30 years exactly, he positioned his superTuscan Trinoro among the top Italian references, producing a wine with stylish elegance and outstanding potential for ageing. Franchetti’s Bordeaux blends were without the over-extractions that were on-trend in the 2000s, nor the excess of fruit following phenolic maturity. He followed a precise idea to produce classic wines for the long haul ...

Lucio Tasca d’Almerita died in Palermo this week, on 25 July, aged 82. In Sicily he was known simply as ‘Conte Lucio’, such was the reputation of the Count and the amount of respect and affection people had for him. Lucio was one of the pioneers of winemaking on the island from a technical point of view, but moreover he was able to demonstrate how effective the modernisation of Sicily could be from a cultural standpoint. Born in Palermo on 9 January 1940, he was an athlete in his youth and even ...