February 13, 2023
Maison Sicile mines a rich family heritage as it looks for international expansion
A father-and-son team from Belgium have drawn on their Sicilian heritage for their sprezza, which they say offers something new to the market.
Maison Sicile, which is run by Riccardo Natale and his son Simon, has so far focused on its Belgian home market, but is at Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2023 as part of a major drive to secure international distribution.
“Our family are based in Belgium but originated in Sicily. My grandparents came from Sicily to Belgium to work in the mines,” said Simon.
“This company is a way to go back to our roots. We created our own recipes based on Sicilian classic products and methods. We developed this in Belgium and produce it in Belgium and Sicily.”
Maison Sicile Sprezza is flavoured with bitter almonds and has flavours of cherry, according to Simon, who said the aim was to create a unique product.
“We always wanted to have originality and provide something that doesn’t exist, something that is an alternative to the current market,” Simon added.
It is a product that can, he said, please a wider range of consumers than many typical drinks in the same class, being sweeter and having its own flavour and colour.
While Maison Sicile is, in Simon’s words, “a young company” that is making its first trip outside of Belgium, it has major international ambitions, and is at Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris 2023 with the aim of forging partnerships with distributors and importers.
Assisting Maison Sicile as it focuses on international sales is AWEX (Agence wallonne à l’Exportation et aux Investissements étrangers), the export association for Wallonia.