Feature: If life gives you lemons, make limoncello: story of Sorrento's Esposito family

On an early autumn morning, Rossella Esposito, 27, puts two cups of espresso and granita -- a drink made from lemon, crushed ice and sugar -- on the wicker table in her family garden.

We are in the middle of Sorrento, one of Italy's most picturesque towns. The sun is shining and the scent of blossoms and fresh lemon is intoxicating.

Her father, Salvatore Esposito, finally finds a moment to sit down after serving clients. He is happy to have his daughter, his only child, working alongside him in the business. At the same time, he is sad because Rosella gave up a promising career as a tennis player to work for the family business.

That business is lemons.

"My grandfather, father, me -- it is a family tradition grown by generations," Salvatore said contemplatively, as he drank his coffee.

Both Salvatore and Rossella were raised in this lemon grove, where the family has been cultivating lemons and oranges for centuries. The field was previously much bigger than it is now. In fact, since 1969 there are only two big gardens left.

Fifteen years ago, Esposito decided that instead of exporting lemons he would use them to produce homemade limoncello and jams/fruit preserves. He opened his own shop.

Nowadays, the Exposito family also organizes basic cooking classes and runs an online business selling their products abroad. The family enterprise, I Giardini di Cataldo, employs 80 people.

Instead of scaling up production, the family prefers to stay artisanal. They produce around 30 to 40 thousand liters of limoncello a year. Everything is handmade and based on the principle of high quality.

"We simply pick the lemon when they are ready and the quantity we actually need. We don't waste anything," Rossella said. "We wash them, peel them to take only the yellow part, then use the skin to prepare the limoncello. From the inside part we make marmalade, jam, ice cream and granite. Even the discarded skin is used as kindling for a barbecue."

Sorrento lemons are harvested year-round, but the peak season is from spring to late fall. Almost 60 percent of the lemons cultivated in the Sorrento Peninsula are reserved for limoncello.

Life in this beautiful, southern Italian countryside full of sunshine is, however, not as idyllic as one would think. Although Italians do not appear troubled, they have their share of distress.

Being able to produce inexpensive, natural products without chemicals and pesticides is a daily struggle. With growing costs of alcohol and sugar, it is difficult not to increase the price and still survive the competition, which may often use poor quality substitutes.

To avoid being mistaken for the cheaper versions, local cultivators and producers advise tourists -- who are the main purchasers -- to taste the product before buying. Famous Italian liquor limoncello, for instance, should be tasted in at room temperature, not at refrigerated temperature. The cold confuses the senses and it is impossible to distinguish the real bouquet.

In 2000, the Sorrento lemon variety earned its own IGP recognition (Protected Geographical Indication). The "Limone di Sorrento IGP" trademark has since been recognized by the European Union.

"It is undeniable that the agricultural and natural landscape plays a major role in attracting tourists, so it is important to preserve it," said Fabiola Fasulo from Sorrento's tourist office. She added that the whole region has a long history of lemon and orange cultivation.

The lemon cultivation in the Sorrento Peninsula is evidenced in the many frescoes and mosaics found in the archeological sites of Pompeii and Hercunaleum. This demonstrates that lemon cultivations already existed in the first century A.D.

The cultivation of Sorrento lemons increased in the 18th and 19th century as a result of flourishing maritime traffic towards Northern Europe and North America. However, after 1950, various conditions led to a crisis for the industry: the groves decreased in size, competition with cheaper, lower quality products rose, and interest from the younger generation fell.

"It is not an easy business, but we try to stay afloat," said Salvatore.

He considers himself lucky to have his daughter working with him. That isn't always the case for other families in the area whose children left Sorrento Peninsula to go to college and seek professional jobs in bigger cities.

The sun is still shining. Tourists trickle in to taste and learn about homemade limoncello. For now at least, it's business as usual for the Esposito family. Endit