SIPPING SICILY

Raise your glass to Sicily’s delights on an excursion to two wineries from Sciacca. Wine lovers will learn of the efforts, perseverance and commitment of local producers and discover to whom the region owes its fame as a fine wine-making region.

Meet your private driver at your accommodation and relax on the ride to one of Sicily’s most highly esteemed estates. Founded in 1995, this winery, together with other five properties scattered across Sicily, belongs to a prestigious family of wine-makers that has been involved in farming for five centuries and whose efforts have contributed to Sicily’s oenological Renaissance. The owners boast a solid reputation, both locally and abroad, as leading and forward-thinking producers, capable of balancing innovative decisions with a steadfast respect for tradition and the territory.

The estate you will visit consists of a 16th century farmhouse located near the banks of Lake Arancio and surrounded by a deep green patchwork of vineyards and olive groves. Native and international grape varieties of Grillo, Grecanico, Chardonnay, Nero d’Avola and Merlot are carefully selected according to the property’s diverse terroirs and expertly turned into red and white DOC and IGT designated wines. It is the owners’ belief that “good wines are made in beautiful landscapes”… find out for yourself as you sip the morning away in this delightful corner of Sicily. Visitors will be treated to a tasting of four of the estate’s labels and enjoy a traditional homemade lunch featuring regional specialities. Depending on the season, scrumptious dishes might include caponata with stewed aubergines, chick pea fritters, salads, baked timballo pasta, arancine rice balls, a selection of local cheeses and ricotta cake… Buon appetito!

Later rejoin your chauffeur and reach the second winery, located just a 20-minute drive away. The estate was founded in 2001 and is owned by one of Italy’s largest and leading wine companies. As a tribute to traditional Sicilian architecture the winery was built in the baglio style, recreating the setting of a typical rural villa. Reverence for local history combined with modern production methods and state-of-the-art facilities has rewarded the estate with exquisite wines. An environmentally sound and inventive, up-to-date approach has also led this estate to become the first Italian winery to receive the ECO Management and Audit Scheme certification for the entire productive chain in 2002.

The estate is famous for its full-bodied red wines and intense aromatic whites, which result from the favourable blend of sunlight, dry winds and clayey soil. Most of the wines are made of native single-varietals, including Nero d’Avola, Grillo and Inzolia but other elixirs are the expression of the fruitful encounter between traditional and non-native grapes such as Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Viognier and Syrah. A guided tasting will be the perfect conclusion to a delicious Sicilian day.

Your private chauffeur will drive you back to your accommodation in Sciacca in the afternoon.