Food and wine
Authentic experiences
Wine tour of Sicily
A comprehensive tour of 7 nights for a small group of up to 14 people , accompanied by an experienced wine and food expert , visiting vineyards on the western side of the island , but tasting wines from across Sicily .
About the region and the tour Sicily , the largest island in the Mediterranean , was for a long time a prized possession for strategic reasons and today , is a land rich in history and variety of scenery thanks to the endless list of conquerors who have invaded over many years , including the Greeks , Vandals , Romans , Byzantines , Arabs , Normans , Swabians , Angevins , and Spanish to mention only a few , as well as even the British for a short while during the Napoleonic wars ! Today , the island offers countless , fascinating places to visit , from its capital city , Palermo , full of Baroque palaces to the wild , rolling countryside of the interior . There are seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites on Sicily , ranging from the Greek temples of the 6th century BC at Agrigento to the Arab-Norman architecture of Palermo , and to the Baroque architecture of the Val di Noto . The story of wine on Sicily is naturally very much coupled with the history of the island , and there is evidence that grapes were cultivated here as long ago as 1500 BC . Later the Greeks introduced several varieties of grapes when they settled . In the late 18th century , Sicilian wine in the form of Marsala was developed by the British and then in the 20th century , Sicily was known for the quantity of wine the island produced , but then since about 1980 a wine revolution was started on the island . Fresh planting took place and both new and revitalised estates made Sicily ’ s first modern wine . The families Planeta and de Bartoli were instrumental in this . Our 8-day wine tour of Sicily sets out to explore both the historic and the modern sides of Sicilian wine , coupled with an appreciation of Sicilian food , in the context of the variety of scenery , climates , terroir and history . This tour focuses on the western side of the island , starting and ending with Palermo , but travelling along the coast with its saltpans , edged with windmills and its vast expanse of vineyards , to the rolling fields of the southern interior and vineyards near the coast not far from the Greek temples at Agrigento . In these areas , we will discover the indigenous grape varieties such as Grillo , Catarratto and Inzolia for the whites as well as the famous , ruby-coloured and flavoursome Nero d ’ Avola and Nerello for the reds . There are also the international varieties planted such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon , both of which have found a particular expression of Sicilian flavour . For the British over the years , traditionally Sicily has meant Marsala , which is located on the western side of the island , and we will discover the real version of this wine with its lengthy ageing which gives a delicious taste of dry nuttiness – a far cry from sickly cooking types !
Wine tasting at Planeta
Baglio Oneto
Greek temple at Agrigento
Your tour leader Cindy-Marie Harvey tells us that having discovered a love of Pinot Noir at an early age , she seemed destined for a life in the wine trade . However , her love of languages led her to work in Italy . After living in Piemonte for five years , discovering the delights of Nebbiolo and white truffles , she returned to the wine trade in the UK . She has spent the last 20 years planning and escorting wine tours to all the main wine regions of the world , from South America to Burgundy and Bordeaux . She now shares her passion for food and wine on her own website , Love Wine Food Ltd as well as in her own kitchen where she is often found surrounded by recipe books in Italian , French or Spanish . She looks forward to sharing her passion for the region of Sicily with you .
Vineyards at Menfi
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