The Demajo team had the opportunity to admire the magnificent vaulted structure of the barrel cellars.

All staff members of M. Demajo Wines and Spirits Ltd were last month treated to a weekend break in Sicily.

The management of the company took their team to thank them for the outstanding results achieved in 2012, as well as to reinforce the current restructuring of the company through a team-building exercise.

The highlight of the trip was a visit to one of the company’s principals in Marsala – The Carlo Pellegrino Winery.

The team was welcomed at the winery’s historical cellars by Massimo Bellina, the export manager who captivated the audience by recounting the history of the company dating back to the 1880s. Explaining how Marsala wine achieved its fame, largely thanks to the Brits, he recounted how the company was founded by a notary, Carlo Pellegrino, who had a strong passion for grape growing.

Cantine Pellegrino succeeded in transforming a family company into one of the most prominent wineries in the Marsala region and throughout Sicily. During the visit to the winery, the Demajo team also had the opportunity to admire the magnificent vaulted structure of the barrel cellars.

Another highlight of the winery tour was the majestic Pellegrino Towers, a unique building, built in the 1950s, which was once used as vats to store wine. These towers have now been converted into a four-storey building with a conference room, kitchens and a professional tasting room, in which the team was taken on a professional wine-tasting of the Pellegrino range of wines.

The team also had the opportunity to visit the medieval town of Erice, standing at 751 metres above sealevel, and offering the most breathtaking views of the beaches of San Vito Lo Capo.

The Demajo team members had nothing but praise for the first-class treatment afforded them by the Pellegrino family during their ‘Sicilian experience’, with Giuseppe Barraco coming in for special thanks for having been the perfect host throughout the visit.