Italian Wine Podcast

Welcome to episode 2612 of the Italian Wine Podcast and episode 231 of Wine, Food & Travel with Marc Millon. In this episode, Marc is in conversation with the renowned Sicilian chef Salvo Lo Castro. Salvo shares stories from his remarkable career, including his experience cooking at the Vatican for Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, preparing meals for NATO, and his journey from Sicily to New York, where he opened coffee shops and later launched his restaurant project. The episode also explores his signature dishes, the wines most popular with his guests, and why Italian cuisine deserves its place as UNESCO heritage. More about today’s guest: Salvo Lo Castro is a renowned Sicilian chef, best known for having cooked at the Vatican for Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI for ten years (2000–2010). After gaining international experience, including work in Romania and in luxury hospitality, he moved to the United States and launched CasaSalvo in SoHo, New York, in July 2025, bringing authentic Medit