Sicily · SICILY WINE TASTINGS
Nerello Mascalese off the black slope of Etna, Grillo in the west, Marsala where it was invented. These 15 tastings are priced by the pour, with transport notes for the ones that end well after lunch.
At Towns of Italy in Palermo, chefs such as Lidia and Marcello guide you through sfincione, pizza, and chocolate gelato. You shape dough, watch the gelato demonstration, eat your creations with wine or soft drinks, and leave with recipes and a certificate.
“Very fun, enlightening, and everything was delicious. Met some amazing people too!”
From Taormina or Giardini Naxos, join a small group of up to 16 for Etna foothill hikes, volcanic craters, a lava cave, Sicilian lunch with Etna wines, and Alcantara Gorge. Guides such as Roberto, Rosario, Tony, and Saro bring local geology and stories to life.
“Marco was fantastic and we enjoyed our tour immensely. I highly recommend this tour! The hike on Etna was beautiful, the wine tasting and lunch was delicious and the Alcantara stop was wonderful and very refreshing.”
Meet hosts such as Yuri, Noemi, Angelo, Giuseppe, Caterina, or Alberto at Bottega Monteleone for five Sicilian wines, from sparkling to dessert wine, each paired with a typical snack. Expect two relaxed hours, helpful English or Italian commentary, and enough food for a light meal.
“Tasting was great. All of the wines selected were very good and the host was extremely knowledgeable about each. Snacks were good and plentiful. Definitely no need to eat beforehand.”
Join a multilingual guide such as Isabella, Simona, or Franco for a half-day ride from Taormina to Gambino Winery on Mount Etna. Taste four Sicilian wines with cheeses, olives, bread, and preserved vegetables, tour the cellar, and enjoy wide views toward the coast.
“Great tour! Bus ride with a lot of info about the sites we passed. And winerie was beautiful, with great view over Catania, taoromina and the ocean. Was given a glass of whine at arrival, and plenty of whine in the tasting (4 glasses, but good amount of whine in the glass), as a Norwegian we like to get a good amount😂. Nice shop where you can by wine, gin or t-shirts from the winery. Absolutely recommend!!”
Spend six hours visiting three Etna wineries with a private guide such as Marco, Massimo, Alessandro, or Bruno. Travel from Taormina, Catania, or Messina, taste at least 10 wines, and enjoy Sicilian cheeses, meats, pasta, bread, olives, and local appetizers.
“We just finished a 6 hour wine tour of Mount Etna with Marco, and I cannot recommend this experience enough. We visited three unique wineries, and we loved all the wines (and cheeses, foods, etc) that we tasted. The wines were all delicious and we got to taste a variety of grapes from different parts of the island. All the places we saw were interesting and different from one another. Our tour guide was friendly and informative, and we absolutely LOVED the day. I was worried this might be a touristy experience, and it was nothing like that. Absolutely magical, and I just wish I could live this day all…”
Travel from Taormina in a small group with guides such as Roberto, Riccardo, Tony, or Daniele. Hike Etna’s extinct craters at 2,000 meters, enter a lava cave, enjoy a winery lunch and wine tasting, then see Alcantara Canyons from a panoramic viewpoint.
“Overall it was a wonderful adventure, specially with our guide Ricardo, he has so much info, and he is very friendly, the Hike was good but we faced some hard winds, some cant handled the wind and the guide helped them, its because of the weather. The lunch was great , we were a group of 8 people from different countries, the trip was comfortable we were back to Taormina at 5 pm.”
Join a naturalist guide from Catania for an easy-to-moderate Etna hike to 2,000 meters, a lamp-lit lava cave, a winery lunch with local wine, and a visit to the cold Alcantara River. Guides such as Andrea, Giovanni, Marco, and Emiliano are praised for clear explanations and friendly care.
“Giovanni was an excellent guide full of information and happy to answer any questions we had a top man. Food at the winery was so so wine was fine A great day out on Etna and the gorge”
Spend eight hours exploring Mount Etna with a guide such as Alex, Andrea, or Luca. Visit Piano Provenzana, hike the Monti Sartorius craters, enter a lava tunnel, then settle in for a generous Sicilian lunch and Etna wine tasting at Gambino Winery. Pickup from Taormina-area hotels is included.
“This was the BEST!!! Christina handled everything just incredible!!! I truly loved my day !!! Mostly because of her !!!”
Travel from Taormina with a local English-speaking guide such as Giovanni, Antonio, Denise, or Orazio. Visit a family winery for five wine samples and cold snacks, then enjoy an organic Etna lunch with seasonal pasta, dessert, and limoncello at a farmhouse.
“Our guide Giovanni was friendly and informative. We enjoyed all our wine samples and the lunch was great. Transportation on time and comfortable. Would absolutely recommend Heather and Gareth”
At Tenuta di Castellaro on Lipari, you’ll tour the winery, walk among the vines, and taste three classic wines with water and a daily food plate. Guide Michela is among the hosts associated with the experience. The 12:30 pm visit is shared, capped at 30 people, and returns to the winery.
“Wonderful experience at Tenuta di Castellaro. Our passionate guide gave us a very detailed tour of the amazing installations. Beautiful views of the aeolian islands from the winery and, of course, fantastic wine.”
Spend about eight hours with EtnaTribe exploring Monte Etna, the Silvestri craters, Parco dell’Etna, and a lava cave with helmets and lamps. Guides such as Alessandro, Enzo, Simone, and Florence lead small groups, followed by wine, local food, and cellar time at Enoteca Dell’Etna.
“Great tour. Hope you get Carmelo, he is fantastic, knowledgeable about the mountain and history, and extremely funny!”
From Taormina, an English-speaking local guide such as Denise, Giuseppe, or Orazio drives you by Mercedes minivan through Etna villages to a family winery and a traditional farmhouse restaurant. Expect five wine samples, Sicilian cheeses and salami, a full organic lunch, pastries, and liqueurs.
“We went on a private tour and loved it ! Antonio was a great driver and guide. The vineyard was beautiful and elegant, the restaurant provided the perfect Sicilian charm. We loved the wine and the meal after, it was a charming way to spend the day together as family.”
Travel from Catania to Mount Etna with a multilingual guide such as Lorenzo, Costanza, Andrea, or Francisco. Walk among craters and old lava flows, enter a lava cave with helmet and torch, then taste four or five wines with Sicilian cheeses, meats, olives, honey, and bread near Zafferana Etnea.
“It was fantastic. So much knowledge sharing and great food. The information about etna was very interesting and our guide has so much historic knowledge he just pulled out of thin air. It really showed that he cares about the area and making sure the tour was well received.”
Join Angela in her Catania home for a small-group pasta class focused on pistachio-filled ravioli. You’ll make dough, prepare the filling, shape the pasta, and sit down to a three-course meal with wine, water, coffee, and Sicilian hospitality. Angela’s son Victor may help translate.
“Angela was absolutely lovely! Welcomed us into her home with open arms, we had a good laugh and Angela was very funny. It was some of the best pasta I’ve ever had! Thank you so much Angela!”
Spend seven hours touring Etna’s wine country from Catania with an English or Italian guide. Visit Zafferana Etnea for honey and olive oil, taste seven wines at two wineries, and enjoy a full Sicilian lunch paired with three Etna DOC wines.
“Salvatore was an incredibly decent and informative guide who made his guests very welcome. A great asset to his company.”
Pick a coast, a volcano or a kitchen.
