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Discover Sicily
A
Mediterranean Mecca
Over the millennia, Sicily has
attracted Phoenician seafarers, Carthaginian settlers, Roman troops, Arab and Norman conquerors, Spanish
conquistadors, and British merchants of marsala -- and most recently, wine lovers. Come see why this ancient land is
now Italy's hottest new wine zone. Also visit Greek temples and Byzantine cathedrals, lunch at an olive oil producer, see
sea salt's creation, and feast on Sicily's multicultural cuisine.
Highlights: Wine estates: Planeta, Donnafugata, Ceuso, De Bartoli & more
Greek temple at Segesta Sea-salt in the making Lunch at an olive oil producer
Byzantine mosaics in Palermo & Monreale
2010 dates: [6 days/5 nights] May 17-22 // October 4-9
Cost: $2,995, single supplement $350.
May tour now on sale! Get a $400 discount! (Direct sales only.)
Meet: Palermo city center Depart: Palermo
airport |
Day 1 - Welcome to Palermo
Glittering Byzantine mosaics, ornate Baroque churches, domed Arab
mosques, and grandiose Norman cathedrals stand shoulder-to-shoulder in Palermo, once the richest city in the Mediterranean.
We'll start with a walking tour of Palermo, going through the historic city center as well as its open market bazaar. After lunch, we visit the renowned estate Abbazzia di Santa Anastasia and have our first sip of Nero d'Avola,
Sicily's most important native red grape. Dinner introduces the multicultural cuisine of Sicily, which includes couscous,
seafood, exotic fruits, and marzipan pastries. D |
Day 2 - The new
conquerors In 1166 the Norman King William II commissioned the Cathedral of Monreale to stand on the spot where the Virgin revealed where his father had buried a treasure. Covered with mosaics, gold leaf, and intarsia, it's an awesome
sight. We continue to Planeta, the winery that put Sicily on the international map with their intense Chardonnay and
Merlot, then with their succulent Nero d'Avola and fragrant Fiano. We'll have lunch at their Ulmo
vineyard or a local trattoria, then continue to Alessandro di Camporeale. Owner Antonino Alessandro will escort us through
the boutique winery and pour their syrah, a symphony of dark berries and spice. Today we leave the crowds of Palermo to
settle into our second hotel, in the fishing village of Castellamare del Golfo. Dinner is on the bay. B, D
| Day 3 - Boutique Wine & Greek Temples
The archaeological park of Segesta holds one of Sicily's most perfectly preserved Greek Doric temples and theaters. After a
visit here, the afternoon is devoted to two wineries, both boutique properties that have earned accolades: Spadafora and
Ceuso. Started as a labor of love by three brothers - a farmer, an enologist, and an agronomist - Ceuso's oak-aged blends of
Nero d'Avola, Merlot, and Cabernet received acclaim in short order and justified their leap of faith. Here our escort will
be Giuseppe Melia, who will show us around the renovated baglio and give a first-person perspective on their breakthrough.
Dinner is on your own in Castellammare. B
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Day 4 - Erice & the Sea-Salt Ponds On our way to our next hotel in Marsala, we visit Erice, a village perched atop a mountain
that is famous for it beautiful churches and breathtaking view of the sea. Lunch follows at a boutique olive oil estate,
where different types of olives are pressed separately for diverse oils. After a comparative tasting, we'll dine in their
baglio, or 18th century plantation house. After lunch, we drive to the picturesque saline, or sea-salt ponds where sea salt
is made using an ageless technique of windmills and diked evaporation pools. A chartered boat will take us past the
windmills to the Isle of Mozia, a Phoenician settlement. Dinner is in the private dining room of Baglio Hopps wine estate.
As the courses keep coming, we'll taste their portfolio of wines, from refreshing white Grillo to nutty dry Marsala Riserva.
B, L, D
| Day 5 -
Marsala: The Town and the Wine In 1773, John Woodhouse docked in the
port town of Marsala and found the local sweet wine to his liking. He sent a shipload back to his native
England, and soon Marsala was the most famous wine of Italy. We'll spend the morning in the old city center and visit the
bustling outdoor market. Next, we discover the real marsala at Marco de Bartoli. This single-minded producer has done more
than anyone to resurrect the reputation and quality of marsala. We'll taste his nutlike
10-year-old Vecchio Samperi and sweet passito wine from the windswept island of Pantelleria. A second winery visit is
at Donnafugata, a setting in the novel Il Gattopardo (The Leopard). Here we'll sample native Sicilian grapes like Nero
d'Avola and Ansonica, and see how finely Cabernet and Merlot behave in this Mediterranean climate. Some free time before our
farewell dinner. B, D
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Day 6 - Arrivederci! A shuttle to the Palermo airport and assistance with your travel plans. B B
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For GoogleMap, click here | |
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