A home supper in Sicily tastes personal. This Leonarda Tardi Supper Club at Leonarda’s home restaurant is built around one thing: 4 wine pairings that actually match what’s on your plate. I love the small-group feel and the way host Calogero keeps the menu rooted in local flavors. The main drawback to consider is that it’s a tasting format, so you’ll want to enjoy wine as part of the experience, not just watch it from the sidelines.

I also like how the menu is specific, not vague. You’re served a starter and three courses—each paired with a clearly named wine—so you know what you’re getting before you sit down. Timing matters too: the experience runs about 3 hours, and you’ll do either the lunch window or the dinner window, not a whole day.

If you’re hoping for lots of sightseeing stops or a big bus-park tour, this isn’t that kind of outing. It’s intentionally focused on food, wine, and hospitality in Salaparuta, and that’s what makes it such good value for the right traveler.

Key highlights you’ll feel right away

• Calogero’s home-restaurant setup: a real host-led meal instead of a staged tasting room
• Four named Sicilian pours: Chardonnay, Grillo, a Catarratto-Chardonnay blend, and Nero d’Avola
• Course-by-course pairing with a starter and three dishes built to match
• Small group size (max 12) so the evening doesn’t turn into a factory line
• Lunch and dinner seatings that both run about 3 hours with coffee or tea included

Leonarda’s home supper club: what makes it work

Sicily can be all about big sights—cathedrals, temples, sea views. But if you want a different kind of “I get it now” moment, this Leonarda Tardi Supper Club leans hard into everyday life: a meal in someone’s home, guided by Calogero, a passionate innkeeper inspired by local traditions.

The format is simple and effective. You sit down, you eat, and each course comes with a wine pairing. The key word here is pairing: it’s not just wine poured on the side. It’s meant to harmonize flavors as you go, so you can actually taste the logic instead of guessing what to do with your glass.

Two things I especially like for practical reasons:

1) You’re not hunting around for a good meal after wine tasting. The meal and the wine are built as a single package.

2) The group stays small (max 12), which usually means you’ll get a calmer, more personal pace—ideal when you’re paying around $94.93 for the full experience.

A quick reality check

This is an adult activity with a minimum age of 18, and it’s centered on alcohol tastings. If you want an alcohol-free food tour, this likely won’t fit what you’re looking for. If you do like wine, though, the structure is a gift.

Your 3-hour lunch or dinner flow in Salaparuta

The experience is scheduled in two time slots, and each one is designed to be self-contained:

• Lunch runs from 12:30pm to 3:30pm
• Dinner runs from 7:00pm to 10:00pm

Either way, plan for about 3 hours total. You’ll start with a welcome and then move through a sequence of four dishes—a starter plus three courses—each paired with the tasting of four wines.

You’ll also get coffee and/or tea at the end. That matters more than it sounds. Many food-and-wine experiences stop once the last sip is gone. Here, you get the slower finish that fits a home-style meal: digest, chat, and land the experience instead of rushing out.

Where you’ll start and why it matters

You meet at Via Giovanni Boccaccio, 25, 91020 Salaparuta (TP). That’s useful because you’re anchoring the evening in a real Sicilian town rather than an edge-of-town venue.

Also, there’s a max group size of 12, and the tour is offered in English. If you’re traveling solo or with friends who don’t want complicated logistics, that’s a good baseline.

About transport

Private transport is possible at €20 per person, for a maximum of 1 hour away. If you’re staying outside the area, this option can save time and stress—but note it’s not included automatically.

Starter course: Ricotta cream soup with mint and bottarga + Alikase Chardonnay

This first dish sets the tone because it’s both comforting and a little surprising. You’ll be served ricotta cream soup with mint and bottarga, and it’s paired with Alikase Chardonnay.

Why this pairing makes sense:

• Ricotta cream brings softness and roundness.
• Mint adds lift—cool, bright notes that keep the spoonful from feeling heavy.
• Bottarga (salty, ocean-y intensity) adds depth, and the pairing aims to balance that with the wine’s structure.

For you as a diner, the practical win is that this kind of start helps you “calibrate” your palate early. After just a few bites, you can tell how the winemaker wants the flavors to work together.

If you tend to like starters that aren’t just bread-and-salad, this one is a strong bet. It’s also a good opener if you’re not sure you’ll enjoy mint + seafood in one spoon, because it’s done in a creamy, approachable way.

Main course: Cous Cous alla Norma + LUNEDDA Grillo

Next comes Cous Cous alla Norma, paired with LUNEDDA Grillo.

Norma-style dishes in Sicily are often known for bold flavors—commonly tomato and eggplant energy—plus the kind of seasoning that makes you go back for another bite. Here, the experience frames it as a main course built for wine pairing.

Grillo is a smart choice for this kind of plate. It’s typically a wine that brings freshness rather than weight, which helps when the food has sauce, warmth, or that slightly smoky-sweet profile that Norma is famous for.

What to watch for on the plate

You don’t need to overthink it. Your job is to taste in sequence:

• First bite of couscous
• then the Grillo right after
• then compare how the wine feels with the sauce

This is how course-by-course pairing becomes fun, not just a “service.” When it clicks, you get a clearer sense of Sicilian cooking logic—rich flavors, balanced with acidity and aromatics.

Main course: Cunzato bread + Catarratto-Chardonnay blend

Then you’ll get Cunzato bread, paired with a Catarratto-Chardonnay blend.

“Cunzato” is the kind of dish name that makes you pause, because it signals there’s something special going on in the bread itself. Even if you’ve never tried it, this course fits the structure of the meal well: it’s hearty and meant to anchor you between richer mains.

The wine pairing here is also telling. A blend that includes Chardonnay tends to add some body and texture, while Catarratto is often chosen for its ability to keep things bright. Together, the goal is likely to keep the meal moving instead of stacking flavors until everything turns into one big muddle.

Practical tip: pace your bites

This is the point where I’d suggest slowing down just a touch. Bread-based courses can be easy to eat too fast. Take a breath, sip, and let the bread’s savory character meet the wine’s balance. It makes the next course feel more rewarding.

Main course: Parmesan medallion + Alikase Nero d’Avola

Last on the savory lineup is a Parmesan medallion, paired with Alikase Nero d’Avola.

Cheese with red wine can go two ways: either it works smoothly, or it turns sharp and heavy. That’s why Nero d’Avola is a sensible pairing choice in the first place. It’s a Sicilian classic grape that tends to bring enough fruit and structure to stand up to salty, aged cheese without flattening the flavors.

How to make this pairing land

Don’t treat this as just the “final sip” course. Approach it like a tasting:

• Eat a small bite of the Parmesan medallion
• taste the Nero d’Avola right afterward
• notice whether the wine feels softer or more structured when it meets the cheese

When pairing is done well, cheese doesn’t steal the show—it highlights the wine and vice versa. This is usually the moment people realize why four pours were planned instead of random wine selections.

The value of paying $94.93 for four pairings

Let’s talk money, the real way.

At $94.93 per person, you’re paying for:

• the meal flow (a starter plus three dishes)
• a tasting of four wines
• coffee and/or tea

In other words, it’s not just “wine tasting.” It’s a wine tasting that includes food structured around it.

If you tried to replicate this on your own—book a tasting, then find a restaurant that serves a set menu, then pay again for the drinks—the cost tends to climb fast. Here, you’re bundling the meal and the wine pairing into one price, and you’re doing it in a home-restaurant setting with a small group.

What you’re really buying

You’re buying two things that are hard to price:

1) Guided taste logic: each pour has a job with the next bite

2) Sicilian hospitality: Calogero’s menu choices are framed around local traditions and seasonal ingredients, so you get that “local rhythm,” not a generic tourist menu

That’s why many people rate experiences like this highly: it feels specific to the place. If you enjoy cooking and wine connections, you’ll likely feel the value immediately.

Getting the most out of the experience (without overthinking it)

This setup has a few built-in rules, and leaning into them will make it better.

Go in ready to taste

The wine portion is not a side act. It’s integrated into every course. If you like tasting with meals—smaller glasses, more flavor focus—you’ll feel comfortable. If you don’t enjoy wine, it will feel like extra burden, because the whole timing of the meal is built around the four pairings.

Dress and mood: simple and practical

No formal dress code is stated. Still, for a home-style dinner, I’d suggest smart casual: something you can sit comfortably in for 3 hours.

Also, keep your expectations aligned with the format. This isn’t a hurried stop-and-run experience. You’ll have time to eat, sip, and talk, especially with a max group of 12 travelers.

Language support

The activity is offered in English, which helps a lot if you want to follow the wine pairing reasoning instead of relying on vague gestures.

Who should book Leonarda’s Supper Club?

This is a strong match if you want:

• a wine tasting that’s clearly paired with your meal
• a food experience that feels local rather than restaurant-menu standard
• a small group atmosphere (max 12)
• English support

It’s also a good choice for couples or friends who want an evening that doesn’t depend on finding reservations last-minute.

Who might want to look elsewhere

If your priority is big-ticket Sicilian sights, you’ll probably want a different day. This experience is about food and wine in Salaparuta, not about checking off monuments.

And again: because the experience includes wine tasting with an 18+ minimum age, it’s not the best fit for under-18s or anyone looking for a non-alcohol food tour.

Should you book this home restaurant experience?

If you like guided tastings with actual food pairings, I think you should book it. The price isn’t just for alcohol—it’s for a structured meal, named wines, and a small-group setting led by Calogero.

Book it especially if you’re the kind of traveler who enjoys learning how Sicilian flavors match Sicilian grapes. The menu choices—ricotta soup with mint and bottarga, Norma-style couscous, cunzato bread, and Parmesan with Nero d’Avola—signal a host who cares about the logic of regional cuisine.

Skip it if you want a traditional sightseeing day, or if wine is a “maybe” for you. This experience doesn’t pretend otherwise. It’s a supper club built around wine and cooking together.

FAQ

FAQ

Is this experience offered in English?

Yes. The experience is offered in English.

How long is the experience?

It runs for about 3 hours.

Where do I meet for the tour?

The meeting point is Via Giovanni Boccaccio, 25, 91020 Salaparuta TP, Italy.

What time slots are available?

Lunch is scheduled from 12:30pm to 3:30pm, and dinner is scheduled from 7:00pm to 10:00pm.

What’s included with the meal?

You get an alcohol tasting of 4 wines, plus coffee and/or tea.

What food will I eat?

You’ll be served a starter and main courses, including ricotta cream soup with mint and bottarga, Cous Cous alla Norma, Cunzato bread, and a Parmesan medallion.

Which wines are part of the tastings?

The tasting includes Alikase Chardonnay, LUNEDDA Grillo, a Catarratto-Chardonnay blend, and Alikase Nero d’Avola.

Is private transport included?

No. Private transport is possible for an additional cost of €20.00 per person, with a maximum distance of 1 hour away.

What are the age and group-size limits?

The minimum age for tasting is 18, and the activity has a maximum of 12 travelers.

What’s the cancellation policy?

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the experience’s start time. Free cancellation is available up to that deadline.