Massimo Lentsch means business and has decided to expand the offering at Tenuta di Castellaro, on the island of Lipari, by inaugurating the Castellaro Bistrot – a new name in Sicilian gastronomy that enriches the already vibrant culinary landscape of the Aeolian Islands. Forty seats, a target clientele made up primarily of the ever-numerous international visitors, and a cuisine rooted in local tradition yet open to the creativity of talented Milazzo-born chef Giacomo Caravello (Balice in Milazzo since 2019, Signum on the island of Salina, and before that La Montecchia, with the Alajmo brothers).
A tailor-made cuisine to celebrate the wines
Lentsch, a Bergamasque entrepreneur active in the internationalisation of SMEs, has been rooted in Sicily since 2005, when he purchased vineyards in Lipari (he now manages around 24 hectares, primarily cultivated in the traditional bush-trained style). He is now looking to the restaurant industry to complete a vision focused above all on his wines, aiming to highlight their various nuances, after years spent promoting the revival of near-extinct grape varieties like Corinto. The bistrot (open from April to October) centres around the ten labels of Tenuta di Castellaro (ranging from ancestral method wines made with white muscat or pinot noir to blends of Malvasia delle Lipari and Carricante), as well as wines from Etna (where Lentsch collaborates closely with oenologist Emiliano Falsini), with dishes carefully designed to match. Seasonality and local ingredients guide the kitchen’s rhythm and direction, with products such as silver scabbardfish, red prawns, almonds, capers, sesame, and wild fennel. “For now, we’re putting aside the concept of fine dining,” says Caravello, “and focusing on a direct, local cuisine.” The wine list, with tastings from €25 to €35, also includes a selection of Champagne from small grower-producers. Soon, it will also feature Lentsch’s classic method sparkling wine from Etna.
Tenuta di Castellaro – the Malvasia harvest
The first 2025 menu and a tribute to the Aeolian Islands
The menu changes depending on the time of day: lunch (with a smart, light offering), aperitivo in the cellar overlooking the long sunsets over Salina, Filicudi and Alicudi, and dinner (à la carte or with two tasting menus priced at €50 and €70). Service, overseen by Barbara Manzotti, is informal and focused on storytelling around the estate’s wines (which total around 70,000 bottles per year). From an essential, monthly rotating menu, chef Caravello (currently relocating his Balice restaurant in Milazzo closer to the Garibaldi seafront) offers, among the starters, deep-fried panko prawns and local oily fish with citrus mayonnaise, or an excellent “tuna tonnato” (vacuum-marinated and grilled albacore tuna, seasoned with oil, black pepper, and classic tonnata sauce).
Territory and seasonality
Among the first courses, a highlight is the ditali with mussel pepper sauce (a nod to Messina tradition), enriched with toasted almonds. The menu also draws on Northern Sicily, with busiate pasta served with ragù made from Nebrodi black pig. The main courses are also tributes to the territory: rolls of silver scabbardfish with potato and “capperoni” salad; a fish burger made with swordfish, caper and fennel mayonnaise, and roasted cherry tomatoes; black pig neck with chicory and toasted breadcrumbs (“mollica atturrata”). The dessert offering includes goat’s milk cannoli (from small Aeolian farms), an Aeolian semifreddo, and even a reimagined version of tiramisù made with coffee cream, sesame biscuits, and candied capers from the Aeolian Islands – ideal with an intense Malvasia delle Lipari by Tenute di Castellaro.
Architecture and bioenergetic cellar
The bistrot is built on the same level as the estate’s vineyards, with a concrete patio and large windows offering views of Salina, even from the open kitchen. The project, led by architects Michele Giannetti and Alessandro Dalpiaz (who are based in Hamburg with their studio), mirrors the architectural design of the “mushroom pillars” found in the wine cellar below (and underground), with columns made using polystyrene formwork. These elements, transformed into installations by artist Luigi Radici (who also designs the winery’s labels), enhance both the barrel room (inspired by the Norman Cloister, a symbol of Lipari) and the restaurant’s walls, which also house an internal lift functioning as a wind tower.
Tenuta di Castellaro
News from Etna on the horizon
But Massimo Lentsch already has his sights set on the future: he is currently finalising his new winery on Mount Etna, with construction scheduled for completion in spring 2026. As the entrepreneur explained to Gambero Rosso, the aim here too is to offer a full 360-degree experience that showcases the wines, including hospitality structures and a high-profile gastronomic offering – just as in Castellaro.
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