Sicily Wine Tour Itinerary

EIGHT Days | SEVEN Nights

Start and FINISH: Catania City Center

(Please note: This is a sample itinerary. Each tour is unique.)

Day One: mount etna + etna EAST

We'll meet at a central location in Catania, boarding our spacious and comfortable shuttle and driving off toward towering Mount Etna. Our first stop will be at a family-run winery just south of the volcano which has an old palmento, a building where Sicilians used to come together as a community to make their wine completely by hand (and foot!). We'll tour the vineyards and have a tasting over lunch on their terrace. Afterward, we'll be taken up Mount Etna for a scenic drive with some stops to get out and walk around the volcanic terrain. Next, we will check in to our gorgeous hotel and have some free time to unpack, unwind and explore the grounds. Dinner will be a special wine-paired meal at the hotel.

Day Two: TAORMINA

Today we explore Taormina, a charming seaside town. We first meet our guide for a two-hour walking tour of the town, including a visit to the Greek Theater with breath-taking views. Lunch follows at one of my favorite restaurants. Afterward, you will have free time to shop, enjoy a gelato, or simply stroll the main thoroughfare. We’ll then head back to our hotel for some rest before dinner a locally-loved osteria.

DAY THREE: etna NORTH

We head out mid-morning to the Etna outpost of an important Sicilian winery. There, we will tour the winery and be treated to a wine tasting with brunch. Afterward, we will drive into the town of Randazzo to explore the town and for a casual wine tasting at an incredible wine bar with producers from all around Etna. Back at the hotel, have a nice leisurely afternoon. Dinner will be at a small town nearby.

Day FOUR: syracuse + ortigia + noto

Today, we'll  heading south down the east coast with Mount Etna in our rear-view mirror. Syracuse, the famed Greek city, is our first stop. We'll wander through famous Greek ruins, including one of their largest open-air theaters ever built, before having lunch on the quaint island of Ortigia (connected to Syracuse by several short bridges). We will have a tasting of the sweet dessert wine, Moscato di Siracusa, to finish our lunch, and then there will be some free time to check out the cute shops and pretty vistas that Ortigia has to offer. Afterward, we will drive to the Baroque city of Noto, our home for the next two nights. We will stop for one of the town's famous semi-forzen dessert granita (Noto is also renowned for its almonds, so we strongly recommend the almond granita!), followed by our hotel check-in. Dinner will be at one of Noto's incredible restaurants.

Day FIVE: noto + olive oil producer

Spend the morning sleeping in or exploring Noto's stunning architecture. Lunch will be on your own. (We will provide you a list of our favorite restaurants.) After lunch, we will drive to the heart of Sicily's prized extra virigin oil: Monti Iblei. We'll taste the flavorful olive oil made from Monti Iblei olives as well as other products made by a tiny, award-winning azienda agricola. Our visit will include a walk through an ancient olive grove with the owners. Dinner will be at a farm-to-table restaurant in a nearby town.

Day SIX: modicA chocolate producer + cerasuolo Wines

Heading west, we will reach Modica, known for its chocolate made from an ancient Aztec recipe that the Spanish brought over during their conquest of southern Italy. We will visit a respected producer to see how this famed chocolate is made followed by a gourmet lunch (Pretty obvious what dessert will be.)  Our next stop will be Vittoria, the region famous for the distinctive Cerasuolo di Vittoria, a deeply-colored and complex red wine—the first to be awarded the Italian DOCG quality title in Sicily. We will check into our country inn

Day SEVEN: cerasuolo Wines

This morning, we will visit one last producer, a young wine-making star on the island. Back at our hotel, we’ll have a lovely picnic by the garden and some downtime before a cooking class with the hotel’s in-house chefs. Dinner will be partly what we make during the class.

DAY EIGHT: back to Catania

With our bellies and suitcases full of wonderful Sicilian gastronomic treasures, you will be brought back to the heart of Catania for your continued island-traveling pleasure or for what will be undoubtedly an undesired departure. On a positive note, arrivederci in Italian means "until we see eachother again"! You'll be back.