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 the creation of sea salt, and feast on Sicily's multicultural cuisine. |
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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 room supplement $350
Early Bird Discount: Book by February 1 and save $150
Meet: Palmermo city center
Depart: Palermo airport
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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'll 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 |
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| 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 |
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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 |
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 its 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 |
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| diverse oils. After a comparative tasting, we'll dine in their baglio, or 18th century plantation house. After lunch, we'll drive to the picturesque saline, or sea-salt ponds where sea salt is made using an ageless technique of windmills and dyked evaporation pools. A chartered boat will take us past the windmills of 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 |
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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. There'll be some free time before our farewell dinner. B, D |
Day 6 - Buon viaggio!
A shuttle to the Palermo airport and assistance with your travel plans. B
How to book: Fill out the online Reservation Form along with a certified cheque, Visa or MasterCard for the amount of the desired tour to Harsan Inc., Ste. 902-5790 Patterson Avenue, Burnaby, B.C., V5H 4H6, CANADA.
For tour photos, click here
For Google Map, click here
