Andrea and Marzia Loggia of Sovrano Limoncello.
Italians Andrea and Marzia Loggia arrived in New Zealand in 2007. By 2009, from their Kerikeri property, they started producing the palate cleansing liqueur limoncello.
Both had family backgrounds in wine making or liqueurs. Andrea’s from Sicily and he says every southern Italian family has their limoncello recipe. He uses his father’s “but I needed to put my own touch, so I did”, and now he reckons he rivals the best Italian product.
The Loggia’s have a small lemon orchard producing fruit for the liqueur, but they also buy in fruit from other locals.
Andrea’s also getting into bees, with 12 hives so far, and plans for more. “And they’re all women, have you thought about that, they’re all women, I have to manage.” But on a serious front, he says the trees and the bees make a good circle, with limoncello at the end.
Andrea and Marzia’s two and a half year old daughter loves helping in the busy business and while Andrea makes the limoncello, it’s not hard to see who’s boss around the place. “Isabella is my queen bee, a queen bee without the sting.”
