Off lands who reached this corner of Sicily by sea, since the times of the Phoenicians, who had the merit of introducing viticulture to Sicily. Since ancient times, wines with a strong character, linked to the unique sugary richness of the grapes that mature under the scorching sun, have been produced here. However, it wasn’t until 1773 that the English merchant John Woodhouse fell in love with these wines and appreciated their potential so much that he wanted to ship some barrels to England, but with the addition of a generous amount of brandy. And that’s how Marsala, as we know it today, was born. This reinforced sweet wine was so successful that it attracted other English entrepreneurs to Sicily, who began to produce it, and shortly afterwards the first Italian began production, namely Vincenzo Florio. He too arrived by sea, from Calabria, and was the first to launch his family’s fortunes, based among other things on accumulating an impressive shipping fleet, and dedicated himself to producing this unique wine, creating the suggestive Florio Winery in 1833. The history of the Florio family is full of illustrious and cultured lovers of beauty and honour, but it also reveals a history of entrepreneurial quest for modernity and innovation, which in 150 years changed the economic face of Sicily forever.