Sting Opens Pizzeria on His Estate

Sting Opens Pizzeria on His Estate
© Jaime Travezan

Sting Opens Pizzeria on His Estate

The British singer and part-time winemaker opened a pizzeria and wine bar on his Il Palagio estate in Tuscany.

A new pizzeria is open

Pop star Sting and his wife Trudie Styler call their 350-hectare estate in the Chianti region south of Florence their second home. Until now, access was denied to fans and wine lovers, but from now on the gates are open to visitors. The biodynamically farmed estate Il Palagio produces wine and olive oil; the wines bear the names of famous songs by Sting, such as "Message in a Bottle" or "Sister Moon." Star oenologist Riccardo Cotarella is enlisted as a consultant.

Now that the pizzeria is open, wines can also be tasted directly at the estate. The opening was announced by Sting himself on Instagram. Aside from the estate's wines, Tuscan craft beers are also on offer.

Support Italian community

While there were some mocking comments on Instagram, Sting earned a lot of sympathy in Italy with another measure: a few weeks ago, he announced the creation of the Every Breath Foundation - with the aim of providing concrete help to Italian restaurant owners and businesses brought to their knees by the financial difficulties resulting from the Corona pandemic.

The beauty of the Tuscan landscape.
© Jaime Travezan
The beauty of the Tuscan landscape.
© Jaime Travezan

You farm your vineyards biodynamically - does the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner's philosophy play a role in other areas of your life?
TRUDIE We have relied on biodynamic methods from the very beginning - with the expertise of Alan York. Today, our wines are produced one hundred percent organically. I am not an advocate of blindly following biodynamic guidelines, but I have reached a point in my life where I can say with certainty whether the feeling fits and whether the methods used are helping Sting and I to give our land a future. So-called landowners are really just companions. We have a responsibility to preserve the land for future generations. That is true sustainability.

Does your celebrity status exclusively bring advantages for the marketing of the wines 
or does it also have disadvantages?

STING Of course, our celebrity status brings more attention to our wines. On the other hand, we are also confronted with prejudices that we are not serious winemakers and are just doing this as a hobby because we can afford it. But when critics taste our wines, it becomes clear that we have worked hard with our team to make world-class wines. Trudie and I have been working on this for a really long time and with perseverance. We are proud of what we have achieved so far!

Do you personally take part in the tastings where the wines are blended? 
STING Yes, but my palate is not as trained as that of our blenders. But I know what I like.

Which vintages of your wines do you personally prefer to drink at the moment?
STING Sister Moon 2010 (editor's note: Rosso Toscano IGT) and Message in a Bottle Bianco 2016.

Could you also imagine growing wine in England? There have already been successful attempts, especially with sparkling wine.
STING That's a fascinating idea! Maybe we could start an experiment on our estate in Wiltshire.

Bernhard Degen
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