| So you have decided to go to Sicily. You might | | | | sweet Marsala that has been exported for a good |
| know about the great attractions of this beautiful | | | | two centuries. Marsala was once quite popular and |
| island off the coast of the Italian boot. You may | | | | is now coming back. You won't need to rent or |
| have heard about its cities including the capital | | | | drive a car to visit the Donnafugata Winery |
| Palermo and others worth visiting such as Messina | | | | located in downtown Marsala. |
| and the formerly Greek city of Siracusa or | | | | Sicily produces a lot of wine from international |
| Syracuse if you prefer. You've heard about | | | | grape varieties such as Chardonnay, Syrah, and |
| Agrigento on the southern coast home to the | | | | Cabernet Sauvignon. But make sure to try wines |
| Valle dei Templi; one of the finest collections of | | | | from the local grapes such as the white Inzolia |
| ancient Greek Temples. And you'd like to take | | | | (also called Ansonica) and the red Nero d'Avola. |
| one or more wine tours. | | | | Companies that offer wine tours of Sicily include |
| Sicily has traditionally been a high volume wine | | | | La Dolce Vita Wine Tours, Delicious Italy, Vip Sicily |
| producer. But Sicilian wine wasn't always known | | | | Food Wine, and Alabaster and Clark Wine Tours |
| for its quality. Times have changed and some | | | | Worldwide. In addition to Tasca d'Almerita in |
| wineries such as Planeta produce top of the line | | | | Vallelunga Pratameno and Donnafugata other |
| wines, even if they don't carry the supposedly | | | | Sicilian wineries that host visits include Abbazia |
| prestigious Italian wine designations. Another | | | | Santa Anastasia in Castelbuono (English website |
| producer to look for is Tasca d'Almerita, whose | | | | coming soon), and Benanti in Viagrande near |
| owner is a Count if you go for that sort of thing. | | | | Mount Etna. A few words of warning are in order: |
| This winery has an English-language website and | | | | Make sure that you check ahead of time for |
| offers visits. | | | | opening hours and whether English is spoken. |
| The city of Marsala is located on the island's west | | | | Some places charge admission; others may |
| coast. It's home to Sicily's most famous wine, the | | | | expect you to buy some of their products. |