Fall Festival Kicks Off This Weekend in Zafferana

By Alberto Lunetta / NAS Sigonella Public Affairs

Bring your entire family at the annual Ottobrata Fall Festival that is held every Sunday in October in the town of Zafferana. With thousands of people attending every year, this festival is one of the main autumn events in the Etna area. Each Sunday has a different theme and features arts and crafts and entertainment.

(Photo by City of Zafferana Press Office)

Even if the weather is still warm and Sicilians continue to go to the beach, in the Etna area it’s already fall festival time! Every year, October is filled with a plethora of autumn food festivals. In the Catania province, the 41st edition of the traditional Ottobrata Fall Festival will begin in Zafferana on Sunday and will repeat every Sunday in October in the town’s historic center. With over 150,000 visitors attending annually, this festival is one of the main autumn events in the Etna area. Unlike the famous German Oktoberfest, Ottobrata is not about beer but about food and produce of the local volcano area.

This year’s festival has a special meaning as the mayor has decided to hold it despite damages caused by last December’s earthquake, which were repaired after months of hard work. During a recent press conference, the mayor indicated that this year’s festival would be eco-friendly and food vendors will use disposable dishes.

Every Sunday will have a different theme. October 6 will celebrate the grape (Sagra dell’Uva); October 13 will be dedicated to local honey (Sagra del Miele); October 20 will be an exciting experience for anyone who loves “Mele dell’Etna” or “Cassone,” one of the several varieties of delicious apples grown in the Etna area (Sagra delle Mele dell’Etna); and on October 27, the Ottobrata last’s day will promote the area’s production of mushrooms and chestnuts (Sagra dei Funghi e delle Castagne).

Every Sunday will also feature local food specialties such prickly-pear, olives, and honey. Festival activities will include entertainment, folklore shows, guided tours of local attractions, and arts and crafts booths. Booths will showcase art such as textiles, wearable art, exhibition of decorated Sicilian carts, Nativity Scenes, hand-crafted ceramics, embroidery products, decorative and functional wood, pottery, jewelry, leather, paintings, drawings, prints, and metal work. Music shows will be held every night in piazza Umberto.

Visitors can also enjoy a visit to the Museo degli Antichi Mestieri e del Giocattolo di Latta , a museum showcasing tools from the old crafts and tin toys which is located in the Palazzina Liberty in the town’s park. Festival booths will be open all day throughout Zafferana’s historic center. Before you leave the festival, don’t forget to try the delicious “Siciliana,” a fried calzone filled with tuma cheese and either anchovies or ham that are prepared by local bars and pizzerias.

As for transportation, there will be shuttle buses provided by the city to the festival area. Car-pooling is highly recommended, as traffic congestion is very likely to affect the area during the festival, which attracts tourists from all over Sicily.

Zafferana is an enchanting town, located in the eastern slopes of Etna, whose name derives from the Arabic word Za’faran (yellow) for its proximity to woods rich in yellowish saffron and brooms. Zafferana Etnea is a town in the Province of Catania in the Italian region Sicily, located about 12 miles) north of Catania. The town spread around the Priory of San Giacomo, founded in 1387 in the upper part of the Valle del Bove, the point of confluence of the lava streams from Etna’s Eastern craters which frequently have destroyed the town, which has always been rebuilt. Zafferana Etnea was threatened by the 1992 volcanic eruption of Mt. Etna.

Zafferana is now a summer resort with views of landscapes toward both the mountain and the sea. The second Sunday in August is the Festa of Madonna della Provvidenza. Zafferana, along with Nicolosi, is now regarded as one of the major tourist stopping points for summer and winter expeditions to the summit of Mt. Etna.

Small Harvest in Sicily Promises High-Quality Wine

By Harper’s Wine and Spirit Trade News

The 2019 grape harvest in Sicily is down by as much as 30% on average when measured against typical recent volumes, according to an initial report from the Consortium for the Protection of Sicilia DOC Wines. Production is expected to be in the region of 4.3 to 4.6 million hectoliters, comparable to the 2018 harvest, which produced 4.4 million hectoliters. The average for recent years is around 5 million hectoliters.

However, after six weeks of harvesting, the growers are confident of an excellent vintage. The first vines to be picked have been white varieties, including Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Grillo and Lucido. All are reported to bear high-quality fragrant grapes. The harvest was delayed this year until August 5, ten days later than 2018, thanks to a cold wet spring. It is expected to end in October.

Filippo Paladino, vice-president of the Consortium, said that the harvesting of Pinot Grigio showed a trend of 40% less quantity than in 2018. The other grape varieties harvested, Viognier and Merlot, saw an average reduction of 30%-to-35%.

“We can already say that the ten-day delay with which the harvest began was positive in some respects: the plants were able to accumulate aromatic substances and we expect very fragrant wines. Everything makes us think that the final balance will be in line with what we are currently seeing.”

The wine sector in Sicily is worth some €550 million and is growing rapidly. Sales were up 6% in 2018. Established in 2011, the Sicilian DOC is an umbrella organization for the 24 DOC on the island. It represents some 7,500 winegrowers with over 20,000 hectares of land under vine.