One table. Four wines. And a kitchen run on local rhythm, not tourist timing. Leonarda Tardi Supper Club at Leonarda’s home is a Sicily wine tasting with a full gastronomic experience—food and pours move together course by course.

What I like most is the hands-on feel: the innkeeper Calogero builds the meal from locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, then pairs each course to match. I also like that it’s a small setup (max 12), so you’re not shouting over a loud bus. A key thing to consider: this is a meal-first experience with set pairings, so if you have strong wine dislikes, you’ll want to plan ahead.

Key highlights you’ll feel right away

• Home-restaurant vibe in Salaparuta: a real kitchen setting instead of a showroom
• 4 wine tastings tied to each course: pairing isn’t an afterthought
• Seasonal, local ingredient focus: the dishes aim for what’s fresh and regional
• Small group size (up to 12): easier conversation and calmer pacing
• English offered: the experience is set up to be understandable without fuss

A Sicily supper club built around pairing, not performance

If your idea of Sicily is flavors that taste like they come from the next hill over, this format is for you. Leonarda Tardi Supper Club is essentially a home-style restaurant experience with a host who clearly knows his way around both food and wine. Calogero’s role is front and center: he guides the meal, and the courses are designed to line up with wine tastings so the flavors make sense together.

The most valuable part isn’t just that you’ll drink wine. It’s that the wine is structured around the food you’re eating. That matters because a pairing in a typical tasting room can feel like two separate activities—sip here, snack there. Here, the meal and the pours are doing the same job: helping you notice how a grape changes once it meets a specific dish.

Salaparuta is the setting—and it shapes the meal

Salaparuta is the name on the meeting point, and it’s not just a label. The experience is built around local traditions and local innovation, with Calogero using fresh, seasonal ingredients. That usually means you’re more likely to get Sicilian comfort foods done with care, not “international classics” dressed up for the menu photo.

It’s also a practical choice for you. A home restaurant experience works best when you’re not fighting logistics across multiple stops. One location, one schedule, and a steady flow from starter to main courses to coffee or tea.

The meal plan: 4 wines and 4 main courses, with set timing

The experience is described in two parts on different schedules: lunch runs from 12:30pm to 3:30pm, and dinner runs from 7:00pm to 10:00pm. Even though the overall duration is listed as about 3 hours, the key idea is the same: you’ll sit down, eat through a sequence, and taste wines as each course arrives.

You’ll also get coffee and/or tea at the end. That’s small, but it’s nice—because after a wine-and-food tasting, you want a gentle landing. It keeps the meal from feeling like a sprint.

Group size stays tight. With a maximum of 12 people, you’ll feel less like a number and more like you’re at a well-run local dinner.

What you actually eat (and the pairing logic behind it)

Below is a sample menu you can expect to see in this kind of setup. Even if the exact dishes shift with seasonality, the structure stays consistent: one starter plus 4 main courses, each matched to a specific wine.

Starter: ricotta cream soup with mint and bottarga + Alikase Chardonnay

Ricotta cream soup is comfort food energy—soft, creamy, and meant to be eaten slowly. The mint adds lift, while bottarga (salted, cured fish roe) adds a salty umami hit. With that mix, Alikase Chardonnay makes sense because Chardonnay’s body can stand up to the richness, and the acidity can cut through the cream.

If you like to understand flavor contrasts, this first course is a great “setup.” The goal is to show you how a wine can either blur or sharpen the taste of a dish.

Main: Cous Cous alla Norma + LUNEDDA Grillo

Cous Cous alla Norma is a Sicilian classic associated with eggplant and tomato flavors (the kind of dish that tastes like it has stories). Here you get a LUNEDDA Grillo pairing. Grillo is often bright and zippy, which usually helps when the food has tomato tang and a savory depth.

This is one of those pairings that makes sense the moment it hits your tongue: instead of making the couscous feel heavy, the wine keeps it lively.

Main: Cunzato bread + Catarratto-Chardonnay blend

Cunzato bread is the kind of food that doesn’t need fancy explanations. It’s rustic, flavorful, and designed to be eaten as part of the whole table experience. The pairing is a Catarratto-Chardonnay blend.

That combination is interesting because Catarratto tends to bring a crisp, citrus-leaning character, while Chardonnay can add roundness. Together, that blend can work like a flavor bridge—helping the bread’s savory notes stay exciting without overpowering everything else.

Main: Parmesan medallion + Alikase Nero d’Avola

A parmesan medallion sounds rich, and it is. Parmesan carries saltiness and depth, and the dish likely leans into that satisfying, savory power. Pairing it with Alikase Nero d’Avola follows a common logic: Nero d’Avola has the kind of structure and fruit that can stand up to aged cheese.

This is the wine-and-dish moment where you’ll likely notice the biggest shift: you move from lighter, brighter Sicilian whites earlier in the meal into a red that’s meant to feel more substantial.

Price and value: what $94.93 buys you here

At $94.93 per person, you’re paying for more than wine. You’re paying for a full meal experience with 4 wine tastings, a starter, and 4 main courses, plus coffee and/or tea.

Is it “cheap”? Not really. But home supper clubs like this usually cost more than a standard bar tasting because you’re getting:

• a full, seated meal time slot (lunch or dinner),
• multiple courses instead of a snack,
• wine pairing service built into each course,
• a small-group setup (max 12).

So the value question becomes: do you want a normal tasting room, or do you want a dinner where food and wine are treated as a single experience? If you want the second one, the pricing starts to look fair fast.

English and conversation: you won’t feel lost

The experience is offered in English, which matters because home-hosted dinners can sometimes be charming but hard to follow if you don’t speak the language. Here, the pairing and meal flow should stay understandable.

With a small group, you’re also more likely to ask simple questions and get real answers. Think: how the wine choice matches the food, what the ingredients are, and what to expect from each course.

Why this feels local (and not like a theme night)

The best-rated part of this experience is the warm, local hospitality—especially Calogero’s kind, welcoming approach. That’s not a small detail. In a home restaurant, the host’s energy is what turns a meal into a story you actually remember.

And the meal itself is designed as a compilation of regional dishes made with care. When the menu feels like it’s built from local staples, the wine pairing feels more grounded too. You’re tasting Sicily through food first, wine second—which is the right order if you want to come away with real understanding.

Lunch vs dinner: which schedule fits your day

Because lunch runs from 12:30pm to 3:30pm and dinner runs from 7:00pm to 10:00pm, pick based on how you like your travel pace.

• Choose lunch if you want a long, late meal and then an easier afternoon afterward.
• Choose dinner if you want to spend the day doing other things, then end with wine and a proper seated finish.

Either way, plan your day around a full 3-hour block. This isn’t a quick bite with a tasting flight.

Getting there: keep it simple with the Salaparuta meeting point

You meet at Via Giovanni Boccaccio, 25, 91020 Salaparuta TP, Italy, and the activity ends back at the meeting point. That “return to start” setup is helpful if you’re trying to time transport.

There’s also mention of private transport possible for €20 per person, limited to a maximum of 1 hour away. If you’re outside Salaparuta, it’s worth considering early rather than hoping for last-minute options.

You’ll also use a mobile ticket, so have your phone ready when you arrive.

Who should book this supper club?

This experience is a strong fit if you:

• want a Sicily wine tasting that’s tied to real food courses,
• like home-style dinners more than formal wine events,
• appreciate small groups and a host who guides the meal,
• want to learn how wines behave with specific flavors, not just drink them.

It may be less ideal if you:

• dislike wine tastings or expect fully flexible substitutions (the tasting is built into the courses),
• need an extremely fast meal (you’ll be seated for about 3 hours).

Should you book Leonarda Tardi Supper Club at Leonarda’s home?

I’d book it if you’re chasing the kind of evening that feels like Sicily at table level—ingredients, cooking, and wine pairing working as one system. The small group size and the Calogero-led hospitality are a big part of why this works, and the menu structure (starter plus four mains with four wine tastings) gives you a complete, satisfying arc.

If you’re only looking for a quick drink, spend your time elsewhere. If you want a proper food-and-wine experience in Salaparuta, this is a very solid call.

FAQ

How long is the experience?

It runs for about 3 hours.

Where does the experience start?

It starts at Via Giovanni Boccaccio, 25, 91020 Salaparuta TP, Italy.

What language is the experience offered in?

The experience is offered in English.

How many wines will I taste?

You’ll have a tasting of 4 wines.

What meals are included?

Lunch includes tasting of 4 wines with 4 main courses (from 12:30pm to 3:30pm). Dinner includes tasting of 4 wines with main courses (from 7:00pm to 10:00pm). Coffee and/or tea are included.

What are some example dishes and pairings?

The sample menu includes ricotta cream soup with mint and bottarga paired with Alikase Chardonnay; Cous Cous alla Norma paired with LUNEDDA Grillo; Cunzato bread paired with a Catarratto-Chardonnay blend; and a parmesan medallion paired with Alikase Nero d’Avola.

What’s the minimum age for tasting?

The minimum age is 18 years.

How many people are in the group?

There’s a maximum of 12 travelers.

Is private transport available?

Private transport is possible at a cost of €20 per person, up to a maximum distance of 1 hour away.

When will I get confirmation?

You should receive confirmation within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the experience’s start time for a full refund. If you cancel less than 24 hours before, the amount paid is not refunded.

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