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Gastronomic Sicily - Food & wine in the west
Tour highlights
- Colourful Palermo street markets, authentic salt flats near Trapani, historic cellars in Marsala.
- Learn about making wine, olive oil and artisan foods from the craftsmen and women who carry on these age-old traditions.
- Spectrum of culinary experiences from street food in Palermo to dinner in a private palazzo. Emphasis on authentic methods rather than haute cuisine.
If Sicily’s history is a layer-cake of the different cultures that have colonised the island through the centuries, its food is no less complex. Citrus fruits and ices were brought there by the Arabs before the Middle Ages. Wine-making was introduced by the Phoenicians, and during the Roman era wheat turned the inland hillsides to gold. The magnificent landscape remains a key source of agricultural richness for the island: Trapani is today Europe’s most productive grape-growing province.
What Sicily offers more than any other Italian region is an unrivalled cornucopia of sun-ripened vegetables and fruits, many grown on volcanic soils for added intensity of flavour. The Sicilians cook these products in myriad, colourful ways: sweet and sour, hot and spicy, fresh and nutritious – Sicilian food is arguably more exciting than its northern counterparts. It is also a mix of old and new cultures. Pasta is handmade in unique shapes to accommodate vegetables, capers, herbs and the varied seafood that make up the healthy Sicilian diet. Dessert lovers will be rewarded with some of the most delicious sweetmeats Italy has to offer: from the hollow cannolo filled with fresh ewe’s milk ricotta to elaborately decorated cassata cakes.
As the tour travels across the Western part of the island we visit small producers of artisan foods, wine-makers, home cooks and chefs alike, and do not ignore cultural sites that determine its key historical importance. Sample street food from market stalls in Palermo, the freshest seafood in the Mediterranean, and home-prepared dinners whose hospitable cooks share their secrets with us. Walk in vineyards and olive groves, and around some of the finest archaeological sites on this ever-fascinating island.
Practicalities
Two sharing: US$5,770 or US$5,430 without flights. Single occupancy: US$6,440 or US$6,100 without flights.
Travel by private coach; hotel accommodation; breakfasts; 6 lunches and 5 dinners with wine, water, coffee; all wine and food tastings; all admissions; all tips; all taxes; the services of the lecturer and tour manager.
Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa, Palermo: 4-star hotel housed in an assortment of historical buildings; a little tired in some respects, but its central location is unbeatable. Hotel Carmine, Marsala: small, charming 3-star hotel, with occasionally erratic service. Some rooms can be on the smaller side. Single rooms are doubles for sole use throughout.
There is a lot of walking, some of it over rough ground and cobbled or uneven paving. Fitness and sure-footedness are essential. Some days involve a lot of driving. Average distance by coach per day: 47 miles.
Between 10 and 22 participants.
Before booking, please refer to Travel.State.Gov to ensure you are happy with the travel advice for the destination(s) you are visiting. As a British company we follow the advice of the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.
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Testimonials
“This holiday took my experience of Italian wine and food to a new level. We had some sensational meals and enjoyed the variety of fresh sea food.
”
“I had high expectations of this tour and they were substantially exceeded! I thought the planning and execution of it were both excellent. Thank you!
”
“A good mix of visits to food and wine producers and historical sites, putting the produce into context with Sicily's varied history and landscape, and both the lecturer and tour manager were excellent.
”
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