Wine tourism in Sicily: flavors and wineries to discover the drink of the god Bacchus
The wine tourism in Sicily is a form of thematic tourism that attracts many travelers to Italy’s largest island every year. Planning a trip to the land of puppets, in fact, involves more than just days at the beach and city tours amid history and art. But taking a vacation in Sicily also means tasting typical products and getting in touch with the places where they are produced.
So, what does wine tourism consist of in detail? A recent phenomenon in Italy and steadily growing, the wine tourism allows wine lovers to enjoy a 360-degree experience with:
- tastings of local wines,
- Visits to wineries with explanation of production processes,
- vineyard tours.
For wine tourists many are the seasonal events that feature wine, tastings and open wineries. Occasion to celebrate this fantastic drink is definitely November 11, during the feast of St. Martin. Custom dictates that new wine is tasted on this occasion during visits to wineries and vineyards.
Summer, however, is the most likely season to be able to enjoy the nectar of the gods. Among the events, in fact, the following stands out Goblets of Stars 2022 which will be held from July 29 to August 15. These days are an opportunity to visit villages and wineries under the stars accompanied by a good glass of wine. What more could be desired?
Wine tourism in eastern Sicily
The wine tourism in eastern Sicily involves a portion of the region ranging from the lower mountains of the Strait of Messina, to the coastal plain of the province of Syracuse. Accomplice to the Mediterranean climate, the wine vocation has a history of ancient origins.
Did you know that the oldest wine in Italy was produced during Greek colonization? Known by the name of Syracusan Pollio, identified today with the Muscat of Syracuse, is evidence that the ancient settlers already had a wine culture. After the first vines were imported from Thrace, the land of Dionysus, the technique of growing and making wine was later spread by the Romans, first to the rest of Sicily and then throughout Italy. Syracuse and the cities of the southeastern coast thus became thriving centers where wine was the mainstay of the economy.
Today, there are many wines with which to do tastings accompanied by the typical products of Sicily. Among the reds beloved by wine tourists is the Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG, cherry in color, full, velvety flavor and fruity fragrance. Its production takes place at the Nicosia Wineries, where it is also possible to take a tour among the typical products by booking tastings and visits to the vineyards.
Then, famous all over the world is the Nero d’Avola. As a grape variety it is native to Noto and Pachino, but wine production takes place particularly between Syracuse, Ragusa and Catania. It is also used in Western Sicily, differentiating itself from products with a fruity flavor and sweet on the palate. The star of winery visits, in tastings it is paired with aged cheeses and game dishes made from barbecued red meat.
To best savor this delicacy, born from native grape varieties of southern Sicily, we recommend booking a winery tour with tasting at the Baroni estate of the Baglio di Pianetto Winery and the Rudini Feud by Stafania Busà, of theWomen of Wine Association and president of the Wine Tourism Movement Sicily.
Instead, among the Sicilian grape varieties and wines little known to wine lovers and wine tourists is the Nerello Mascatese. Widespread in the Etna area, it has a fragrant and light flavor. It also exists in a rosé version, suitable for accompanying sliced meats, cheeses and the characteristic Sicilian arancini. Red, on the other hand, is excellent with meat main courses or sauces. Certainly to enjoy this wine to the fullest even through winery visits we suggest a tour at Orestiadi Estates’ La Gelsomina and the Nicosia Cellars.
Winery tastings of this and other native grape varieties can also be held at the Duca di Salaparuta estates. If you are a wine lover also consider that there are many wineries and estates that offer unique experiences. In fact, we also suggest visiting:
- Ramaddini estate
With vineyards between Marzamemi and Pachino; - Gulino wineries, a beautiful location in the Syracuse area for tastings and business meetings.
Where to taste the best wines in western Sicily
Accomplishing a wine tour among the wineries of western Sicily means visiting the wine routes of the provinces of Trapani, Palermo and Agrigento. Here, winery tourism involves three specific macro areas:
- Val di Mazara, where the memory of Arab rule is very strong;
- the Terre Sicane, named after the Sican people of probable Iberian origin;
- Marsala Lands, famous for salt pans and mills.
Here it is the special climatic and soil conditions that have favored the development of the wine vocation for centuries. But in recent years this has also been reinvigorated by a return to traditional grape varieties such as Nerello Mascatese and Nero d’Avola and the introduction of international grape varieties such as Syrah and Chardonnay.
The undisputed protagonist of the wines of western Sicily is definitely the Marsala DOC. A fortified wine produced in the town of the same name, it owes its organoleptic properties to the particularly sweet type of vine (low, broad-leafed vines to shelter the grapes from the direct sun originating in Greece) and the production method called “soleras” (overlapping oak barrels filled from above with wine then drawn from below).
It comes in three colors, gold, amber and ruby red and its merit is that it varies with aging and the additions of other grape varieties. This also determines its pairings with typical products during tastings, which range from first courses such as busiate with Trapanese pesto to main courses of white meats, fatty fish or medium-aged cheeses to desserts such as cannoli and cassata.
This typical Sicilian wine in its three qualities is to be tasted at the Contessa Entellina estate. In Marsala, however, we point out the Duca di Salaparuta estates and the Fina wineries.
Moving into the province of Agrigento, 30 km from the coast of Sciacca is produced the Sambuca di Sicilia, another wine dear to wine tourists. Intense ruby red in color, it is suitable for accompanying typical game dishes, pecorino cheese and meat sauces, but also fatty fish, such as sardines, paired with sauces typical of Sicilian culinary tradition. Certainly it is a wine that, along with others, you can taste at Orange Feud.
Finally, wine tourism enthusiasts a topic particularly dear to their hearts is that of organic production and sustainability. In this regard in Mazara del Vallo bulwark of these issues is the Gorghi Tondi Estate. Nestled in the WWF Nature Reserve of Lago Preola and Gorghi Tondi, the winery offers during tastings and winery tours the chance to taste the unique molten wine produced on the island, accompanied by cheeses, dry almond pastries and ricotta sweets typical of the Sicilian confectionery tradition. Always related to the theme of eco-sustainability is the wine production of the winery San Giaime Estate. Via MTV Sicily (Wine Tourism Movement) you can taste a good mountain wine, characterized by a strong presence of polyphenols useful for health.
Doing wine tourism means being able to have a truly unique sensory experience. But in Sicily if you combine a good glass of wine with magnificent villages and good food, the experience becomes unforgettable.
by Annapasqua Logrieco