Not the usual suspects: quirky tastes of Italy

Are you an adventurous drinker?

Legendary Melbourne providore Enoteca Sileno may have closed its doors, but it is still active online with a wide range of esoteric drinks on offer.

There has been a resurgence in interest in old-world spirits, particularly from mixologists, from amaro to pastis and beyond.

Enoteca Sileno closed its retail store this year after 70 years, but the online store is still stocked with an array of authentic Italian food and beverage products, including wines and spirits.

Owners Rosemary and John Portelli’s have selected some of their favourite winter spirits and aperitifs - from liquorice and chocolate liqueurs to herbaceous amari perfect for negronis.

Their products can be delivered Australia-wide with free delivery to major metro regions for orders over $250.



Their choices include Bepi Tosolini Amaretto Salizà ($105) - made with whole almonds - and its sibling the Bepi Tosolini Brandy Riserva Fogolar ($137.60), distilled from red wines with ancient steam stills.

Other family favourites include Clementi China Antico Elixir ($118), a bittersweet digestive from Tuscany, and Infusi dall'Eremo Ghentiane ($65.40) a herbal tonic from a co-op based near L’Aquila using medieval recipes created by local monks.

Then there is Infusi dall'Eremo Saffron Liqueur ($49.80): a liqueur made from a cold infusion of saffron, which is rich in antioxidants, and for the sweet tooths, Vincenzi Bicerin di Gianduiotto Chocolate Liqueur ($85).

For details you can check out www.enoteca.com.au

Celebrating 70 years of an importer who helped give Australia an Italian accent

At a time when Italian restaurants owned by culinary "superstars" open and close over a period of just a couple of years, it is nice to pay tribute to a Melbourne institution that is this year celebrating 70 years run by the same family. 

Enoteca Sileno is a Melbourne business that has helped shape the food and wine culture of Australia, with founder Gino Di Santo a pioneer of introducing authentic, regional flavours of Italy to Australians. 

The business is still run by the third generation of the family in 2023. 

At the Enoteca Sileno store in Carlton, the Portelli family is extending its retail hours and hosting a swag of events every Saturday in the lead-up to Christmas. 

Visitors can see a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano being cut in the traditional way, or sample some panettone in the lead-up to Christmas. 

The Enoteca Sileno story began in the town of Termoli in the region of Molise, Italy. where Luigi ‘Gino’ Di Santo was a young man who wanted to prove he could make it on his own post World War II. 

After arriving in Australia at Bonegilla Migrant Reception Center outside Wodonga in north-east Victoria, he saw a gap in the market for imported Italian food and beverage products in Melbourne.

He returned to Italy to secure the rights for La Cimbali espresso machines, and in 1954 he installed the first machine in Cafè Lexington on Exhibition Street. 

Enoteca Sileno’s role as an importer of Italian foods began with Plasmon, Italy’s most famous brand of baby food, which was in much demand by the young migrant Italian mothers.

In the following years Gino would introduce Australian cafes and restaurants to Italian mineral water, gelati-making machines, La Minerva cheese graters and coffee grinders for delicatessens and cafés, along with preserved vegetables such as artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegars and Italian liqueurs such as Amaro Ramazzotti and Amaretto di Saronno.

But Gino also play an important role as an ambassador for Australian products in Italy. He exhibited at Italian international food fairs, giving Italians their first taste of Carlton Draught and Swan Lager beers, as well as Australian tinned fruit. 

He was also responsible for what was possibly the earliest exhibit of Indigenous Australian artefacts in Italy, with a display that included bark paintings, wood carvings, and tools.

In 1982, Gino opened the Enoteca Sileno retail store in Carlton, selling direct to the public rather than to restaurants and cafès. 

After relocating to Lygon Street in 2004, Enoteca Sileno is now under the guardianship of Gino’s daughter Rosemary Portelli-  a former teacher and sommelier - and her husband John Portelli, along with their son Daniel. 

Gino died in 2010, but today, the company portfolio extends across thousands of products from classic biscotti, polenta from the Italian Alps and dozens of condiments, sauces and spreads, as well as Italian craft beers and liquors. 

“Times change, and we want to go with it - but we’ve got the classics everyone Italian knows and loves, and the funny thing is some of the products we’ve had from Gino’s early days are still our biggest sellers," says Rosemary Portelli.