Bottling Messinian Heritage
Greka Icons, Greece In Messinia, olive groves tumble towards the Ionian Sea and fig trees cling to stone terraces. Greka Icons was created in 2012 to capture these landscapes in…
Bottega Pavesi, Italy
Since 2015, the Pavesi brothers—Giacomo, Camillo, Pepe, Daniele and Matteo—have run Bottega Pavesi, a micro‑laboratory where seasonality and simplicity guide every decision. They source their produce from nearby farms that practise sustainable agriculture, then preserve it using ancestral techniques: pasteurisation, smoking, drying, salting and fermentation. Working in small batches allows them to follow the rhythms of each ingredient rather than the pace of a factory.
White watermelon candied in sugar then perfumed with mustard for a sweet‑spicy note; pears slowly candied and finished with an aromatic heat; sun‑ripened peaches infused with mustard to pair with foie gras or ricotta. They bake only one dessert, a crumbly almond cake called Torta Spisigona, enriched with lemon zest and corn flour. Every jar is sealed in recyclable glass and labelled with its contents and origin, reflecting a commitment to transparency as much as taste.
The Pavesi pantry leans heavily on the sweet‑sour tradition of the Po Valley: purple cabbage sliced, blanched and marinated in a tangy brine, or Borettana onions preserved in a blend of sunflower and olive oils. Giardiniera is treated like an art form—carrots, celery, cauliflower and red onions cooked separately, marinated in amphora‑aged wine vinegar and aged for 50 days to develop crunch and depth. In a rarer batch, fermented black garlic adds umami and each jar is numbered.
We love producers who treat food like a conversation between land and hands. Bottega Pavesi does not shout; it lets the ingredients speak. When you spoon their giardiniera onto charcuterie or stir their salsa rossa into a stew, you taste a family’s commitment to seasonality, the patience of slow ageing and the elegance of recipes that have travelled from Piacenza’s kitchens to your table.
At Carnivale, we believe that the best food has an identity, dignity, and depth. It is a sentiment that Bottega Pavesi embodies completely, understood through exploring their story. We are not here to shout about it. Our role is simply to listen, to translate, and to share. Together, we offer something timeless: flavor with a provenance, made by people who still believe in the enduring power of patience and of principle. Because in the end, it is not just about what you make, but why you make it.
