The Regaliali estate

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The Regaliali estate

Monreale

Martorana Church - Sicily

Sicily

5 - 13 October 2008, 4 - 11 October 2009

Sicily is quite distinct from Italy in terms of culture, history, language, and wines. Highly individual grapes give good reds, perfumed whites and rich dessert wines. We have been bowled over by our reception from the family domaines we have visited in Sicily such as at Rapitalà, where we have a delicious home-cooked lunch at the estate. It is through the wines and such personal invitations to meet the winemakers that you will see a side to the country not normally seen by visitors, and to the best of our knowledge not seen on any other tour of Sicily.

We drive through wild, unspoilt countryside to the centre of the island to enjoy the wines from Tasca d’Almerita, over a lunch from the recipes of Marchesa Anna Tasca who has written the definitive books on the cooking of Sicily.
In Marsala, we visit de Bartoli and have a tasting-dinner at the innovative estate of Donnafugata,where we taste the unctuous Moscato Passito di Pantelleria, from the exotic island south of Sicily and half way to Africa. Here we stay in an attractive 4* hotel that has been built on a farm, which has its own wines. With the fabulous view out to the Egadi islands, the sunsets are divine.
Crossing to the southeast of the island, we visit the immaculate estate of Planeta with its modern style wines.

For complete contrast at our next visit, Cos, we taste wines made in traditional amphorae. We continue to the historic city of Syracuse where we spend a night. Whilst we are in the area we also visit the baroque gem of Noto. We move on to Mount Etna to visit Barone di Villagrande whose vineyards are on the slopes of the volcano and who make superb organic Etna Bianco and luscious Malvasia di Lipari from the Aeolian islands.

Our last 2 nights are in a 4* hotel on its own private beach below Taormina. It is a short stroll to the cable car that takes you directly to the dramatically situated hill-town. Sicily is not easy to penetrate on your own, and this tour is one of the best ways to discover it, meet the people, learn about its culture, history, food and wine.