Food & wine: Ragusa is "Best in Sicily" 2011

A couple of days ago I got an email by Lorenzo Piccione, owner of Piano Grillo Olive Grove in Chiaramonte Gulfi, saying:

"Best in Sicily 2011: we are the winner...First olive oil producer...in Sicily".

He referred to the fourth edition of the Best in Sicily Award created by a Sicilian website Cronache di Gusto, which is specialised on what Italians elegantly call "enogastronomia", or simply "food & wine".
I was really happy for Piano Grillo, I have been enjoying, at home and at the cooking school, their 2010 Particella 34 cru olive oil since I got it during our last visit to their estate in October. I find it as well the best Tonda Iblea extra virgin olive oil produced in Sicily and I am sure the guests we took to Piano Grillo for a visit and an olive oil tasting will be thrilled by the news as well.
Here are the photos of our visit to Piano Grillo:

Here you can find my chickpea soup recipe made with Particella 34 .

The interesting note with the Best in Sicily 2011 award is the fact that Ragusa got the highest number of awards:

Best Olive Oil: Piano Grillo

Best Pizzeria: Caravanserraglio in Ragusa

Best Winery: Arianna Occhipinti in Vittoria

Best Cheese Producer: Rosario Floridia, in Ispica

Final thought: Well done everybody! I am not surprised that this area of Sicily scored so high as I know we have these four amazing producers and much much more!

In the video below you can see the Floridia Modicana cows grazing in a field in Ispica