Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/23459
ITALY Pride Sorrento N of Pride of Sorrento VILLA MASSA LIMONCELLO iS tHe GenUine ArtiCLe story and photos by Fred Minnick obody knows when limoncello was first made. Ask any family in Sorrento, Italy, and they’re likely to say their ancestors were mixing sugar, water, Sorrento lemon peels and pure alcohol centuries ago. It remained an at-home Italian pleasure until 1990, when Sergio and Stefano Massa created Villa Massa to sell in Italian markets. Since then, Villa Massa has grown into an international company, exporting to 48 countries, and Sorrento lemons have received the designation PGI (Protected Geographical Indication). Sorrento lemons, which are protected by the European Union, are lumpier and more robust than lemons found in U.S. supermarkets. 50 / the tasting panel / january–february 201 1 Mirko Mogavero, the director of the lemon gardens at Villa Massa, takes in the aroma of a Sorrento lemon.