VINCOTTO: A Beautiful Sweet Sicilian Grape Syrup

VINCOTTO: A Beautiful Sweet Sicilian Grape Syrup. Vincotto is one of those treasures of Sicilian tradition, a sweet, syrupy reduction made from grapes, with deep flavour and memories in every spoonful. In this video I show you how to make vincotto at home, step by step, starting with grapes from my son’s pergola. Along the way, I share stories from my youth in Sicily: long days of grape picking, hard work under the sun, the lessons I learned about leadership, and the joy of food made with care. Vincotto is more than a recipe, it is a piece of heritage. You can enjoy this syrup on cheese, ricotta, crackers, desserts, or even drizzled on pancakes. If you do not have winemaking grapes, you can still use supermarket grapes, just add a squeeze of lemon for balance. 📌 What you’ll find in this video: • How to make vincotto at home • Stories from Sicilian grape harvest traditions • Tips for using both winemaking grapes and supermarket grapes • Serving ideas with ricotta, cheese, and desserts I hope you enjoy this recipe and these memories. If you try it yourself, let me know how it goes. Buon appetito. 🍇 Ingredients 4–5 kg grapes (preferably winemaking grapes, or supermarket grapes with a little lemon juice) Instructions Wash and sort the grapes, removing any spoiled ones. Crush by hand (or with a food mill if you prefer) to extract the juice. Strain through a muslin cloth to remove seeds and skins. Simmer gently in a stainless steel pot for 3–6 hours until reduced to a syrup. Skim foam as it forms, and stir occasionally. Store in sterilised bottles or jars. Optional: If using supermarket grapes, add half a lemon’s juice per 4–5 kg of grapes to balance sweetness. Chapters 00:00 Introduction & grapes from my son’s garden 01:25 Sorting and crushing the grapes 02:03 Stories from my grape picking days in Sicily 27:38 Cooking down the juice into vincotto 33:27 Serving with ricotta and crackers #vincotto #sicilianrecipe #grapesyrup #italianfood #homemaderecipes #tortellinotime #tortellino