Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/23459
Tourism Strategy Villa Massa does more than just promote its brand. It promotes Sorrento. In 2003, Villa Massa created the Villa Massa Award, inviting trade and journalists to cel- ebrate the accomplishments of chefs who pay tribute to food and wine. Every year, the award kicks off the Gastronomic Days of Sorrento. “For many years, we were a seasonal tourism destination,” Stefano says. “We have 12 Michelin stars in a 50-kilometer radius.” Villa Massa’s efforts to sell Sorrento have not gone unnoticed. During this past Christmas season, the only image getting more exposure than Santa Claus in shop windows was a Villa Massa poster encourag- ing tourists and locals to enjoy Gastronomic Days through December 20. Thousands of locals purchased tickets to see the Villa Massa Award recipients, who signed autographs for locals and included chef Bob Waggoner, host of PBS show Ucook!; Carlo Cracco, chef and owner of Michelin two-star Cracco in Milan; and Gianfranco Sorrentino, Stefano Massa, CEO of Villa Massa, is poised to make sure the U.S. market understands the difference between Villa Massa and limoncellos made outside of Sorrento, Italy. Limoncello has become popular in champagne cocktails, as an after-dinner chilled digestif and in desserts, like lemon tarts. But Stefano worries about consumer confusion. Limoncello is not a protected term, and despite not following the traditional formula of only four ingredients, generic limoncello brands are popping up all over the world. Many use thin-skinned lemons, some lemon juice, coloring and non-natural additives. Villa Massa and other Sorrento producers, on the other hand, use only sugar, water, Sorrento PGI lemon peels and pure alcohol. The Sorrento lemons are more than twice as big, lumpier and less tart than the regular citrus fruit. For Villa Massa, those lemons are picked and peeled within 24 hours. This separates Villa Massa from the imitators, Stefano says. “Real limoncello comes from here, made with the Sorrento lemons.” As for those Italian grandmas still making limoncello at home, Stefano says he likes the fact they still follow their family tradition. He is especially thrilled when they say Villa Massa reminds them of their family recipe. “That means we’re doing it right,” he says. Villa Massa Limoncello is imported by W. J. Deutsch & Sons, Ltd. In celebration of the area’s renowned cooking, Villa Massa hosted a cook off featuring top chefs from Campania and Sicily. There was no official winner. Naples native and owner of Michelin-starred Il Gattopardo in New York. The chefs hosted a cookoff against Sicilian and Campanian chefs and showcased new work of an Italian and a Moroccan designer. While the exposure for Villa Massa was great, the real reward for Stefano was that during the award ceremony, several hundred regional culinary students watched in awe. “We want to show the students what is possible in the hospitality industry,” Stefano says. “They are our future.” january–february 201 1 / the tasting panel / 51