A quick post to let you know that I am headed back to Sicily. As I’ve said before, when it comes to wine there is no place more exciting than Sicily right now. I’m traveling there on a media trip with Palm Bay International to visit the properties of Planeta.
Here’s where I’ll be:
- La Beronia, Capo Milazzo (northeast coast)
- Feudo di Mezzo, Etna
I recently attended a lunch where I tasted the EXCELLENT wines (red, white, and sparkling) from this volcanic landscape. Curious? THE DETAILS.
- Buonivini, Noto (southeastern corner, very close to the ocean)
Noto is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I’ll also get to explore the “Invisible Wine Cellar” at Buonivini.
- Dorilli in Vittoria (southcentral-ish)
I am so excited to be in Vittoria because Cerasuolo di Vittoria is one of my favorite red wines. It’s a blend of Frapatto and Nero d’Avola. The lighter Frappato chills out the burly Nero d’Avola. It’s an amazing pizza wine and that’s what’s on the menu for dinner that night. (YES!) Also, I love Frappato on its own. A wonderful red to serve with a slight chill. We’re visiting Ragusa, too; it’s another UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Do you sense a theme here?)
- Ulmo, Sambuca di Sicilia (east, on the shores of Lake Arancio)
This is Planeta’s first winery and home to its Chardonnay, which brought a lot of attention to both the winery and Sicily. Read Francesca Planeta’s thoughts on the transformative effect of this wine in my interview with her.
- Dispensia, Menfi
There’s a library here; hundreds of wine books dating back to the 18th Century.
OK, a lot more on my itinerary and I’ll fill in all the details via my blog and some podcasts. In the meantime, follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. I may Periscope if I have wifi, as it would probably cost a billion dollars in data fees to stream video from my phone.
And would you like to get more acqquainted with Sicily? I highly recommend my podcast with the authors of “The World of Sicilian Wine”, Frances Di Savino and Bill Nesto.
All photos courtesy Planeta.
