get to know us
“[..]the taste and smell of the grapes is determined by the kindness that the person growing shows them, and that the more you laugh while growing them, the bigger the grapes would be.”
I'm Damiano and I'm Beeagle’s founder. I'm originally from Italy but I've been living in the UK - mostly in Brighton - for more than 10 years! I grew up in Sicily, which has some of the most fertile soil in the world and is where some of the best Italian wines are produced.
My passion for grapes started from a very young age. My grandfather showed me the art of planting vines and growing grapes in the backyard of his sea house in a small village called Baia del Silenzio (Silent Bay).
My grandfather always used to say that the taste and smell of the grapes is determined by the kindness that the person growing shows them, and that the more you laugh while growing them, the bigger the grapes would be. The grapes we grew together had the sweetest smell and taste of any grapes I’ve tried since, and they reached an insane size, too!
After my grandfather passed, my uncle continued to nurture my passion for wine and helped me discover grapes from the incredible vineyards scattered around the island. From those at the slope of Mount Etna (Catarratto and Carricante, Nerello Mascalese and Cappuccio) to the coastal vines that have the most stunning sea views overlooking paradise like Nero D'Avola, Frappato, Albanello, Grillo, Insolia.
At 25 I had moved to the UK, and after experiencing my first proper heartbreak, my uncle’s son helped me to pick myself up by convincing me to do something I loved and that I had always wanted to do: to work with wine. So, I set up a company called DS Wine and started liaising between Sicilian vineyards, importers and wine bars here in Brighton. After a hard slog in the beginning, I finally started bringing the most beautiful Sicilian wines to the UK.
Nine years later, faced with a new challenge of lockdown, I again turned to grapes to motivate me through a difficult time. But, this time I decided to do something different: I wanted to sell the wine that I had chosen myself and set up my own brand to do so. And so Beeagle was born.
My best mate Peppe (left on the picture) helped me to hatch a plan and has continued to lend Beeagle an advisory ear ever since. Together we came up with the name Beeagle. It’s a name with many meanings… ‘Bee’ represents the symbol of Peppe's hometown, Offlaga in Lombardy, whilst the symbol of my hometown, Siracusa, is an eagle. Together, they almost make ‘Beagle’ which is a dog that means a lot to me. Beeagle also splits into be-eagle, which represents our keen eye for wine, tenacious attitudes, and swift delivery!
We select wine from small family-run vineyards. We select wine that we believe represents excellence in the province where the wine is produced. And of course, we collaborate with people that show their grapes kindness, and laugh with them (and us!) too ☺
We want to make fine wine accessible to everyone and not just to rich people. So, we do everything we can to keep our import and other costs to a minimum so that we can sell at the lowest price possible. That’s also why you’ll often see us delivering ourselves, on our own bikes!
We would love to hear your thoughts, questions and are open to chats whether you’re a potential customer or looking to collaborate. So, don’t be a stranger – say Ciao! on Instagram, Facebook, Whatsapp or by emailing us at beeaglelimited@gmail.com
We hope you will enjoy Beeagle Wine as much as we do!!