Alexandria, Virginia

Southern Italian
Wine, Food
& Culture

Guided wine education rooted in the sun-drenched regions of the Mezzogiorno — from the family heartlands of Abruzzo and Molise to the celebrated wines of Sicily, Campania, and beyond.

Born from
family heritage

Solevino was born from a deeply personal connection to southern Italy. My grandparents came from Abruzzo and Molise — two of the least-known but most authentically beautiful regions in all of Italy — and their traditions, their table, and their love of the land have shaped everything about who I am and what I believe food and wine can be.

For too long, the wines and foods of the Italian South have lived in the shadow of Tuscany and Piedmont. The Mezzogiorno — the land of the midday sun — produces extraordinary wines from indigenous grapes you've likely never heard of, and a cuisine rooted in centuries of resourcefulness, abundance, and pure flavor.

Solevino exists to change that. Through wine tasting classes, curated small plates, and a deep respect for regional tradition, we bring the eight regions of southern Italy to life — one glass, one story, one dish at a time.

"The name Solevino — sun and wine — captures what the Italian South is all about: warmth, abundance, and a way of living that puts pleasure and community at the center of everything."

The Eight Regions
Southern Italy · The Mezzogiorno
Abruzzo ★ Molise ★ Campania Puglia Basilicata Calabria Sicily Sardinia
★ Our family heritage regions

What We Offer

Taste, Learn,
Discover

Each Solevino experience is designed to deepen your appreciation for southern Italian wine and food culture — in an intimate, welcoming setting that feels more like a gathering at someone's table than a formal class.

🍷

Wine Tasting Classes

Guided explorations of southern Italy's most compelling wines, organized by region. Learn the indigenous grapes, the winemaking traditions, and the landscapes behind every glass — paired with a curated selection of small plates.

Core Offering
🧀

Italian Charcuterie Boards

Beautifully composed boards featuring southern Italian cured meats, aged cheeses, olives, and pantry essentials — sourced with an eye for regional authenticity and extraordinary flavor.

Coming Soon
📚

Wine Education

Through our social media content and in-class instruction, we're building a community of curious, informed wine lovers who know that Campania's Fiano is just as worthy of attention as any Burgundy.

Ongoing

Our Curriculum

Eight Regions,
One Journey

From the Adriatic shores of Abruzzo to the volcanic slopes of Sicily's Etna, every region in the Mezzogiorno tells a different story. We explore all eight — with special attention to the family heartlands of Abruzzo and Molise.

Campania
Naples · Amalfi · Vesuvius
Puglia
The Heel · Trulli Country
Basilicata
Aglianico del Vulture
Calabria
The Toe · Cirò · 'Nduja
Sicily
Etna · Marsala · Nero d'Avola
Sardinia
Cannonau · Vermentino

Wine Education

Upcoming
Classes

Our wine tasting classes are intimate, educational, and paired with thoughtfully chosen small plates. Each session focuses on a specific southern Italian region — its wines, its grapes, its story.

Sample Class

The Wines of Campania

From the volcanic soils of Vesuvius to the clifftop vineyards of the Amalfi Coast, Campania produces some of Italy's most complex and food-friendly whites and reds. We'll explore Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo, and Taurasi — paired with classic Neapolitan flavors.

Format Guided Tasting + Small Plates
Wines 4–5 Pours per Session
Location Alexandria, Virginia

Classes are coming soon. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to be the first to know when dates are announced.

Follow Along

Curated Resources

Shop Our
Favorites

Hand-selected books and pantry essentials for anyone who wants to cook, eat, and drink their way through southern Italy. These are the cookbooks we love and the ingredients we actually use.

All South

Food of the Italian South

Katie Parla (2019)

Part cookbook, part preservation project — recipes for classic and disappearing dishes. One of the few English-language books that covers Molise. The anchor buy for any Southern Italy shelf.

View on Amazon
Calabria

My Calabria

Rosetta Costantino (2010)

The definitive English-language Calabrian cookbook. Deeply personal, rooted in farm-to-table family traditions. Still the standard against which other Calabrian books are measured.

View on Amazon
Sicily

The Food of Sicily

Fabrizia Lanza (2021)

From the legendary Anna Tasca Lanza cooking school near Palermo. Celebrates Arab, Norman, and Spanish influences on Sicilian cuisine. One of the most beautiful food books of the decade.

View on Amazon
All South · Baking

Southern Italian Desserts

Rosetta Costantino with Jennie Schacht (2013)

75 recipes organized by region, including specialties virtually unknown in the US. Essential for anyone baking from the Mezzogiorno.

View on Amazon
Campania

Cucina di Amalfi

Ursula Ferrigno

Lemon-forward, seafood-rich recipes from the Amalfi coastline. Reliable and beautifully photographed. Part of Ferrigno's regional Italy series.

View on Amazon
Sicily

Cucina Siciliana

Ursula Ferrigno

Vibrant island recipes with strong Mediterranean influences — a good pairing alongside Fabrizia Lanza's deeper dive.

View on Amazon
Puglia

Puglia: A Cookbook

Phaidon Editors

From the Phaidon Silver Spoon team. Straightforward and beautifully produced. Orecchiette, lamb, burrata, and the full range of Apulian cooking.

View on Amazon
Campania

Naples and the Amalfi Coast

Katie & Giancarlo Caldesi

Lemon ravioli, lobster spaghetti, classic Neapolitan pastry. Insider/outsider perspective from a well-regarded Italian cookery school.

View on Amazon
All South · Cucina Povera

Southern Italian Family Cooking

Carmela Sereno (2020)

Approachable, budget-conscious recipes rooted in the cucina povera philosophy. Author's family is from Puglia and Molise. Great entry point for everyday home cooking.

View on Amazon
Narrative · Travel

Pasta, Pane, Vino

Matt Goulding (2019)

Travelogue through Italy's culinary regions. Foreword by Anthony Bourdain. More story than recipe — essential for understanding the culture behind the food.

View on Amazon
Affiliate disclosure: Links on this page are Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through them, Solevino earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. We only recommend books and products we genuinely use and believe in.
Olive Oils

Partanna Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sicily

Cold-pressed Sicilian EVOO — bold, peppery, a daily workhorse. Buy the large tin.

View on Amazon

Frantoia Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sicily

Smooth and fruity. Excellent for finishing and salads.

View on Amazon

TuttoCalabria Calabrian Chili Infused Oil

Calabria

EVOO infused with Calabrian chilis. Instant heat and depth. Drizzle on everything.

View on Amazon
Chili Peppers & Heat

TuttoCalabria Crushed Calabrian Chili Peppers

Calabria

The definitive jar. Fruity, smoky, 35K Scoville. Buy the club size.

View on Amazon

L'Oro Del Sud Whole Calabrian Chilis in Oil

Calabria

DOP-certified, packed in EVOO. Antipasto, pizza, stews.

View on Amazon

Italian Peperoncino Flakes (imported)

Calabria / South

More aromatic than US red pepper flakes. Essential for pasta aglio e olio.

View on Amazon
'Nduja & Cured Meats

TuttoCalabria 'Nduja Spread

Calabria

Soft, spreadable spicy salumi. On toast, stirred into pasta, spread on pizza. Transformative ingredient.

View on Amazon

TuttoCalabria 'Nduja Infused Olive Oil

Calabria

EVOO infused with cured 'nduja. An extraordinary finishing oil.

View on Amazon

TuttoCalabria 'Nduja Pasta Sauce

Calabria

Ready-to-heat weeknight shortcut. Bold and authentic.

View on Amazon
Tomatoes & Sauces

Cento San Marzano DOP Whole Tomatoes

Campania

The gold standard for sauce. Sweet, low-acid, minimal seeds. Never substitute.

View on Amazon

Pomi Strained Tomatoes (Passata)

Campania

Clean Neapolitan-style base. No added salt, true tomato flavor.

View on Amazon

Sicilian Estratto di Pomodoro

Sicily

Ultra-concentrated sun-dried paste. A small spoonful adds extraordinary depth.

View on Amazon
Pasta Shapes (Southern)

Orecchiette

Puglia

The shape of Puglia. Born to cradle chunky sauces and broccoli rabe. Get the rough-textured bronze-die version.

View on Amazon

Bucatini

Campania / Naples

Thick hollow spaghetti. Perfect for all'Amatriciana and thick sauces. Worth ordering.

View on Amazon

Paccheri

Campania

Giant tubes, Neapolitan origin. Spectacular with seafood ragu and chunky meat sauces.

View on Amazon

Casarecce or Fusilli col Buco

Calabria / Basilicata

Twisted southern shapes that grip hearty meat sauces. Underrated outside Italy.

View on Amazon
Nuts, Dried Fruits & Specialty Items

Bronte DOP Pistachio Cream or Raw Pistachios

Sicily

Bronte pistachios are among the finest in the world — intensely green, sweet, grassy. The cream is incredible on pasta or pastry.

View on Amazon

Pantelleria Capers in Salt

Sicily

Far superior to brined capers. Rinse well and use in everything — pasta, salads, salmoriglio.

View on Amazon

Calabrian Wildflower or Citrus Honey

Calabria

Floral and complex. Pairs beautifully with aged pecorino, 'nduja boards, and ricotta.

View on Amazon
Cheese & Dairy (Shelf-Stable / Aged)

Pecorino Crotonese

Calabria

Sharper and saltier than Romano. The grating cheese of the deep south. Underused in the US.

View on Amazon

Pecorino Siciliano DOP

Sicily

Younger and milkier than Sardo. Excellent table cheese. Pair with Nero d'Avola.

View on Amazon

Ricotta Salata

Sicily / South

Pressed, salted ricotta. Essential for pasta alla Norma and summer vegetable dishes.

View on Amazon
Anchovies & Preserved Fish

Colatura di Alici (Cetara anchovy sauce)

Campania (Cetara)

The southern Italian fish sauce. A few drops transforms pasta into something extraordinary. The sleeper hit of this entire list.

View on Amazon

Agostino Recca Anchovy Fillets in Oil

Sicily

Benchmark Sicilian anchovy. Flat fillets, silky, perfectly salted. The standard for Sicilian-style cooking.

View on Amazon

Quality Oil-Packed Tuna (Sicilian or Calabrian)

Sicily / Calabria

Pole-caught tuna in EVOO. Unrecognizable next to canned tuna in water. Salads, bruschetta, pasta.

View on Amazon
Affiliate disclosure: Links on this page are Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through them, Solevino earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products we genuinely use and believe in.

Get in Touch

Follow Along &
Stay Connected

Classes are coming soon. In the meantime, join our community on Facebook and Instagram, where we share the stories, wines, and flavors of southern Italy every week.