Sicilian revolution: Tasca d'Almerita sells Capofaro on Salina to carob entrepreneur Giovanni Licitra

It was only a matter of time. Tasca d’Almerita has officially announced the sale of the Capofaro resort, the hospitality structure – complete with a restaurant – on the island of Salina in the Aeolian archipelago. According to Gambero Rosso, the buyer is not a major hotel chain but a private individual: Giovanni Licitra, a Ragusan entrepreneur, Knight of Labour, founder of LBG Sicilia Ingredients, and the world’s second-largest producer of carob flour. Meanwhile, the family retains ownership of the island’s vineyards (6.5 hectares), as Alberto Tasca explains: "Today, we leave behind the hospitality structure Capofaro Locanda & Malvasia – a name chosen to emphasise the authentic and spontaneous style of our hospitality – but we continue to care for the spectacular vineyards overlooking the Aeolian sea that produce Capofaro, Didyme, and Vigna di Paola, both the sweet and dry versions of Malvasia."

The sale after Twenty Years

Rumours of an imminent sale had been circulating for months (with figures of €7 million cited for the resort alone), despite the recent arrival of chef Patrizia Di Benedetto at Capofaro Locanda & Malvasia just a few months ago. Now, with the 2024 season concluded, a new chapter begins. "Although," the Tasca family reassures, "the entire staff has been fully absorbed by the new ownership." The Tasca project on Salina began with the acquisition in 2001, built from the outset around the synergy of wine, fine dining, and high-end hospitality. Over the years, the historic 19th-century lighthouse adjacent to the estate was restored and converted into six suites, adding to the resort’s accommodations for a total of 27 rooms.

Reorganising the wine team

The sale of the hospitality structure forms part of a broader plan to reorganise and specialise the group’s activities. Among the newly announced developments is an expansion of the group’s wine team, including the addition of key figures. Leonardo Vallone will head the commercial division, while Alessia Maranzano joins the marketing team to oversee new digital marketing and integrated communication projects. In the winery, Lorenza Scianna, an oenologist and viticulturist, takes on a cross-cutting role to guide the enological direction of the group’s five Sicilian estates. On Mount Etna, agronomist Michele Brusaferri will coordinate research and studies of the territory, identifying new expressions from the contrade.