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Legend has it that the first grapevine sprang from under the foot of Dionysus, whirling in a frenzied dance on the foothills of Mount Etna, and indeed archaeologists confirm that the first wines on Sicily were almost certainly autochthonous. Wine-making techniques were refined by the Phoenicians, the Greeks and the Romans and the famous Mamertino wine from Sicily was said to be a favourite of Julius Caesar.

Even the Arabs, who as Muslims did not drink the wine, contributed to the evolution of wine-making on Sicily. Then in 1100, Roger de Hautville founded the Abbazia Sant’Anastacia winery near Cefalù, which is still producing wine to this day. The heyday of Sicilian wine-making began in the 13th century and lasted for some 200 years. It was a period in which Sicilian wines were exported to Rome, Liguria, Venice and Tuscany and played an important role in shaping European palates.

Then in the late-eighteenth century, a British wine merchant, John Woodhouse, introduced the Spanish and Portuguese methods to Marsala and subsequently supplied wine to Nelson’s navy, making him one of the most successful entrepreneurs on the island.

But the late 19th century phyllloxera blight, followed by a total neglect for quality after the second world war, risked pushing Sicilian wines off the world wine map. Thankfully however, with greater investment and marketing in recent years, the Sicilian wine-trade has now been reversed and we are able to enjoy some absolutely world-class wines. With such a deep historical tradition, it is not surprising that Sicily is one of the largest wine producing areas in Italy and home to some of their very finest wines.

And of course, the whole purpose of wine is to “wash down food”. So what better excuse than to enjoy the wonderful Sicilian gastronomy? On our Sicilian gastronomy tours we have carefully selected a variety of menus to accompany our wines, and, during the day, we will also go out of our way to taste some of our favourite local specialities.

Full itinerary

Day 1

Arrival in Catania

Transfer to the agriturismo near Noto.
Evening meal and overnight in our agriturismo.

Day 2

Noto, Vendicari and Marzamemi

We begin with a visit to the beautiful Baroque town of Noto. Built entirely after the earthquake of 1693, the architecture of the town has a homogeneity not found anywhere else in Sicily. Now inserted in the list of UNESCO world heritage sites, the town has become one of the star attractions in the South East of Sicily. We spend a pleasant couple of hours roaming the streets visitng the churches and perhaps enjoying an ice-cream.

In the late morning, we depart for the small fishing village of Marzamemi – made famous as a frequently-used location in the Montalbano television series. Once upon a time, this was a bustling tuna processing factory, but today we can have lunch in the picturesque central piazza.

After lunch we return to our agriturismo, calling at the nature reserve of Vendicari – where, if we are lucky, we will catch sight of flamingoes – and the Roman Villa of Tellaro.

Evening meal and overnight in our agriturismo.

Day 3

Olive oil and Nero D’Avola

Olive oil is of course one of the staples of Italian cuisine and today we visit one of the foremost producers in the South-East of the island, based in an eighteenth-century famhouse. We taste the different varieties in their production: Tonda Iblea, Siracusa, Nocellara, Biancolilla, Ogliarola and learn about the different harvesting techniques.

After our visit around we the farm, we have a lunch of local cheeses, home made-pasta, roasted peppers, caponata and parmigiana and finished off with some seasonal fruit picked from thier garden.

In the late afternoon, we visit the Buonivini vineyard of Planeta near Noto. This area is the home of the Nero d’Avola – the black grape from Avola – that has become synonymous with Sicilian wine. It is so named, of course, because of its dark skin and the almost jet coloured wine that is made from it. It is in the calcerous soils just south of Noto where this grape thrives best.

But Planeta have also been foremost in pioneering some fantastic white wines made from the Moscato Bianco. Set in the midst of rural charm, their vineyard is the perfect spot for our late-afternoon wine-tasting.

After our wine-tatsing, we return to the Masseria for our evening meal and overnight.

Day 4

Visit to the Valle d’Acate

In the morning we visit another olive oil producer – this time in the town of Chiaramonte Gulfi. After our sampling of the local oils, we head to the area around the town of Acate – and the home of Cerasuolo wine. The only wine with DOCG status in Sicily, it is made from a blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato. The flagrant and floral flavours of the Frappato make an ideal combination for the full-boodied Nero d’Avola and the result is one of Sicily’s finest wines.

In the Valle d’Acate, we meet one of the local makes and taste some of their fare with our lunch.

After lunch, we continue to a local Baglio where we overnight.

Evening meal and overnight in a local Baglio, Acate.

Day 5

The wines of Vittoria

The wines of Vittoria are distinctly different from the others in Sicily. The rich, red-coloured soil imbues the local wines with a flavour uniqe to the island. Today we visit two local wineries and taste distinctive local wines like cerasuolo and frappato. In addition, this is the only DOCG area in Sicily.

In the morning we visit the winemaker Arianna Occhipinti, one of the first women winemakers in Sicily.

We then visit the COS winery – which has become famed for having adopted the Georgian qvevri (or large clay amphorae) for ageing their wines.

In the afternoon we return to our Baglio where we enjoy a cooking class, learning how to make some of the Sicilian delicacies.

Evening meal and overnight in a Baglio near Acate.

Day 6

Ragusa

Departing from our Baglio, we take a rest from wine-tasting for a few hours and spend the morning sight-seeing.

We lunch in Ragusa and enjoy some of the stunning Baroque architecture of the city which has contributed to the success of the Montalbano films.

After lunch we transfer to the slopes of Mt. Etna and the resort which will be our home for the next two nights

Evening meal and overnight on the slopes of Mt. Etna.

Day 7

The wines of Mt. Etna

We spend the day exploring the vineyards on the slopes of Mt. Etna. The unique aspect of the volcano – its South-Eastern facing aspect, its altitude and its mineral terroir make it one of the most exciting places in the Mediterranean for wine-growers.

Furthermore, the Etna DOC was established back in 1968 – making it the oldest DOC in Sicily. The region has been compared to the Burgundy region of France and is considered by many to be the next big thing in the wine world. Wines produced include rosados (rosés), dry white and dry red wines and characteristic grapes are the Caricante, the Cataratto and the Nerello Mascalese. The Milo area produces the Etna Bianco Superiore.

We visit two of the wineries and have lunch at a third.

Evening meal and overnight on the slopes of Mt. Etna.

Day 8

Departure

Transfer to the airport and departure

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