Simply Sicily: Sicily Wine Road Itinerary ~
9 Days, 8 Nights

Sicily’s Cuisine & Wine Road
A private and escorted tour of Sicily 9 days/ 8 nights

"Our Tour will have 8 nights in this beautiful Island and you’ll leave having fallen in love with the Sicilians , their cuisine and the superb wines” - Angela

Palermo ~
Arrival at Palermo airport .Free Transfer to the hotel. Check into accomodations. Welcome cocktail. Meet our guide . Dinner at the Hotel. After dinner, panoramic tour of Palermo by Night. Return to the hotel and retire for the night . ( BB,D)



Palermo and the Corvo wines ~
Morning: Breakfast at the farm and transfer to Palermo. The morning will be spent with a guided visit to the characteristic, hot spots of "Palermo Arabo-Normanna", "Palermo Barocca" and Monreale. Stroll through il mercato della Vucciria, one of the oldest and most frequented fresh produce markets in the city. Lunch on your own Afternoon: We’ll visit the Corvo Winery and taste their production. Today Corvo is a historical brand not only for Sicilian wine making, but also one of Italy’s great classical wines, one of the leading and most popular wines in the world The unique and distinctive features of Corvo wines are the crystal –clear expression of the land of origin: only Sicily ‘s best native grape varietals , first and foremost Inzolia and Nero d’Avola , are selected every year from the vineyards , which, depending on the climate , have yielded the grapes with the best quality to create wines with a great character and delight Come back at the hotel. Dinner in a restaurant . Overnight ( BB,D)



Erice / Marsala Wines and Donnafugata Cellars
Morning: Breakfast at the hotel. Then, transfer to Erice, a magnificent medieval city nestled in a picturesque setting that rests untouched apart from the days our guests spend visiting its ancient churches and rich historic city center. Visit to the Antique Convent Pastry Shop, in via Guarnotti, one of the most renowned Sicilian bakeries. There, enjoy a taste of the fine Erician pastries first created within the convent walls and, as a special treat, sample some of the typical almond dough desserts filled with candied lemon. Afterwards, a guided walk down the narrow streets of the ancient town. Next, transfer to Marsala, a city famous for the production of its namesake wine. Lunch at an Olive Oil Farm Afternoon: visit Donnafugata winery . Donnafugata grew out of the commitment of a family in Sicily that has always believed in the extraordinary enological potential of its land and has 150 years of experience in producing premium wines. Convinced that it is always necessary to be open to change in order to grow and improve, Giacomo Rallo and his wife, Gabriella, launched a new production project in 1983: Donnafugata. Their adventure took wing from the family’s historic cellars in Marsala and the vineyards at Contessa Entellina in the heart of western Sicily and soared as far as the island of Pantelleria. Don't miss the delicious red Mille e Una Notte, and Donnafugata's version of the famous Passito di Pantelleria, a sweet dessert wine, with intense notes of apricot, made partly from raisins on Pantelleria, an island off Sicily's southwestern coast. Guided tastng of 4 wines in the charming “sala delle botti” combined with bread , olives , tuna , arancini , focacce , local cheeses. Check in at the hotel for rest and relaxation. Dinner on your own and retire for the night. ( BB,L)



Agrigento / Piazza Armerina and the Cellars : Tenuta del Nanfro
Morning: Breakfast at the hotel. Depart for Agrigento for a guided visit of the extraordinary Valle dei Templi ("Valley of the Temples"), a masterpiece that stands testament to Greek art in Sicily. Afterwards, continue on to Piazza Armerina. Lunch on your own. Afternoon: Guided tour of the Villa Romana del Casale, built during the imperial age and famous for its precious mosaics, which constitute some of the best conserved in the entire Mediterranean basin. Transfer to nearby Caltagirone, the Sicilian capital for ceramic artistry, and stopover at the wine cellars of the Antica Tenuta del Nanfro for a guided visit and tasting of typical vintages from the area: Nero d'Avola and the Cerasuolo di Vittoria. Following the visit, registration at the accomodations provided by the agriturismo . The establishment is surrounded by a vast open territory dedicated to the cultivation of orange and lemon orchards. Authentic Evening Meal at Agriturismo, whose exceptional kitchens showcase typical regional cuisine and local produce. Retire for the night. ( BB,D)



Ragusa, Modica, Syracusa
Morning: Breakfast at the farm. Transfer to Ragusa and stop in its old historic center, Ibla, a place of extremely ancient origin and home to an incomparable array of typical Sicilian architectures and ambiences Visit to the cheese maker that studies and promotes traditional Sicilian cheeses. We’ll tour their unique laboratory. The tour will be followed by a specially arranged tasting of the traditional , protected denomination Ragusano cheeses. Transfer to Modica, the ancient capital of Contea, a city full of fascinating architectural, artistic and scenic attractions, unique among those pertaining to the splendid Sicilian Baroque period. Take a guided stroll through the area and stop at the Antique Pastry Shop Bonajuto, where the Ruta family is famous for their chocolate, a delicacy they continue to prepare in the same style once used by the ancient Aztec people. Along with chocolate, enjoy their peperoncino, vanilla and cinnamon, which help lend their desserts their typical Ragusano flavor. Lunch on your own Afterwards, head toward Syracusa and spend the rest of the afternoon on a guided visit of this splendid city, which along with Athens and Alexandria in Egypt was one of the largest political and cultural centers in the Greek world. Guided tour of the archeological park, followed by a visit to the historic city center on the island of Ortigia. Check in at our hotel x a dinner during which we’ll taste the famous moscato di Syracusa wines , synonymous of greatness , of class , of gentlemanliness. The moscato is absolutely classic wines , golden in colour , round and harmonious. . Overnight ( BB, D)



Taormina / Wines from Etna
Morning: Breakfast at the hotel. Excursion to the foot of Mount Etna, in the territory of Santa Venerina, and visit to the Murgo Estate for a true "discovery of the wines of Etna". Tour of the San Michele del Barone Emanuele Scammacca del Murgo Estate, where the area's traditional wines and esteemed champagne, V.S.Q. Metodo Classico, are produced. Wine tasting. Mount Etna is one of the most important places in Italy from a naturalistic point of view . Viticulture in this area dates back to ancient times as the finding of coins of the fifth century B.C. witnesses . On the slopes of this volcano , the highest in Europe , excellent red and white wines are produced . “Nerello Mascalese” and “carricante” are the most used species of wines Lunch at the San Michele Estate, with a menu characteristic of Etnean tradition. Afterwards, transfer to Taormina . Check in at the hotel . Enjoy free time for visits, strolls and shopping in this incredible city, a place known throughout the whole world for its panoramic setting above the Ionian Sea and for its breathtaking view of Mt. Etna, ancient Greek theatre, and high-spirited "Dolce Vita" (frequented up until the end of the 1800s). Free time. Dinner on your own . Retire for the night. ( BB,L)



Eoliand Islands
Morning: Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Milazzo port. From here we set out for Salina in the Lipari Islands , by ferry or hydrofoil and spend a day on this lovely Island to enjoy more of the Malvasia Wines. Seven little volcanic islands surrounded by a warm and deep sea in an out-of-time atmosphere recalling a history of sea-adventures going back 5000 years: that's how long man's presence on these islands dates back. The main island Lipari, the green landscapes of Salina, the wild nature of Alicudi and Filicudi, the sophisticated Panarea and the charming Vulcano and Stromboli. Salina is the second largest Aeolian island (26.8 km2). It was named after the little salted lake of Lingua lying at the south-eastern tip of Salma where the inhabitants once used to gather the salt needed to preserve capers and fish. More than 400 different types of plants grow here. It is also the island with the highest peaks such as the three volcanoes that originated it. Visit of the famous winery “ Carlo Hauner” . Visit and taste of the famous wine : Malvasia Aeolian Islands , and the above all Salina , is the native land of the Malvasia of the Lipari, already called from Sicilian Diodoro "the nectar of gods.” This wine is produced following a millenary technique , with grapes previously deposed on rush mattings in order to be withered by the sun. An ancient wine, been born from grapes imported from the mythical Homerics heroes disembared on these coasts, if not quite from the Fenicipirates , than still intact conserve the memory of the ancient Mediterranean civilization. Taste it accompanied from fine cheeses , or cream sweets (as the experts advise) mean to discover history of that past far away, bathed of transparent sea and sunny beaches Transfer to Lipari Lunch in a typical fish restaurant . Lipari, the largest of the Aeolians, greets us with Baroque architecture, colorful fishing boats and a lively port lined with cafés. The pace is slow, laidback...and infectious! Linger over a freshly shaved almond granita or stretch out on the black beach at Acquacalda. Be sure to visit Lipari's archaeological museum, which boasts an excellent collection of ancient Greek painted vases discovered in the waters nearby. Take the hydrofoil to Milazzo and come back at the hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight ( BB, L)



Cefalu / The Madonie park wines
Breakfast in hotel. Drive along the coast to the fishing town of Cefalu. ... enjoying an unforgettable panoramic tour. Cefalù famous for its rich historical centre (the Norman Cathedral and the medieval quarter) as well as for its beautiful beach and blue sea. Free time. Fish Lunch in a typical restaurant on the rocks Afternoon : Transfer to Castelbuono x a winery visit to a particular place : Abbazia Santa Anastasia is a former Benedictine abbey built in the twelfth century in the hills high above the north coast. The medieval abbey or "abbazia" is steeped in a natural landscape so extraordinary that the present owner, entrepreneur Francesco Lena, originally purchased the land to turn the estate into a holiday resort. Instead, he began experimenting with international varietals such as Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon as well as the indigenous Nero d’Avola. Check in at this splendid resort. Dinner . Overnight . ( BB,L,D)



Departure
Morning: Breakfast at the farm and transfer to Palermo airport and departure.

***Tour Ends***

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