Tag: wine

  • Sunset At A Winery In Sicily

    Savor a sunset tour with an enologist at one of Etna’s most revered vineyards during our October Stunning Sicily tour. Your time with the author of the new book, The Etna Report, will go deep into the viniculture of the volcanic wine region and the wine-making process. You’ll learn all about what makes Etna Bianco…

  • Saint Martin’s Day: Time To Taste The Novello

    November 11 is La Festa di San Martino, or Saint Martin’s Day. It marks the first tasting of the new wine, known as “novello.” September marked the grape harvest, when the grapes are picked, cleaned, and macerated to make juice (must or “mosto”) that was then left to age. This week, depending on the varietal,…

  • From Cannoli to Couscous to Catarratto In Sicily | Stirring Sicily, Day 3

    Live from Sicily! Day 3 of Experience Sicily Stirring Sicily tour..A new meaning to the term “full day.” As in, a day filled with out-of-this-world cannoli, a busiate pasta and couscous cooking class, super cool winery visit at Cantina Quattrocieli … And so much food that we are all full! But wow, so satisfying!

  • The Grapes Tell Us When

    The grapes are getting ready for the harvest! Almost time to make the mosto for the wine.

  • Southern Secrets, Days 5&6: Embracing Sicily

    On days five and six of our combined Feast on History and Experience Sicily tour we dove in to Sicily! We flew from bella Napoli to Sicily to embrace the sea and the sun. Our home base is the village of Scopello, where we had a wine-pairing dinner featuring the varietals of our agriturismo. Cinzia,…

  • Endless Vineyards In Trapani Province, Sicily

    Live from Sicily! I just keep falling further in love with Sicily… Trapani Province woos me with its endless vineyards, olive groves, and wheat fields. Sweeping mountain views and turquoise sea, busiate pasta and textured couscous, overstuffed cannoli, magnificent beauty, and excellent hospitality. What a heartwarming way to close this trip! Alla prossima!

  • Best Wishes To Cantina Quattrocieli

    Cantina Quattrocieli in Alcamo, Sicily, a winery I visited in September (pictured), reported that they tasted their novello (new wine) for San Martino, and they are happy with the results thus far. For the young wine makers, who are still growing their business and perfecting their craft, this is wonderful news! Bravi e auguri!

  • Saint Martin’s Day: The Test Taste

    After an arduous year of meticulously caring for the vines, pruning them, constantly minding the ground at the bases of the plants, and praying for fare weather conditions, in September, wine makers harvested their grapes for the next step of the wine making process. Today’s production is done in laboratory-like cantinas of stainless steel… An…

  • Time To Taste The Wine

    The Feast of Saint Martin is approaching. Saint Martin is the patron saint of vintners, soldiers, the poor, wool-weavers, geese, and the country France. For vintners, November 11 marks the first tasting of the new wine, known as “novello.” Wine making is a long process that starts with the pruning and caring for the vines…