{"id":9915,"date":"2017-01-11T10:27:46","date_gmt":"2017-01-11T09:27:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wineinsicily.com\/en\/?p=9915"},"modified":"2017-01-11T10:27:46","modified_gmt":"2017-01-11T09:27:46","slug":"wine-enthusiast-10-best-wine-travel-destinations-of-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wineinsicily.com\/en\/wine-enthusiast-10-best-wine-travel-destinations-of-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Wine Enthusiast, 10 Best Wine Travel Destinations of 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

10 Best Wine Travel Destinations of 2017<\/strong>
\nPack your bags and explore our editors’ list of adventures for the wine obsessed.
\nBy\u00a0the\u00a0Editors\u00a0of Wine Enthusiast
\nwww.winemag.com\/2017\/01\/05\/2017winetravel<\/a><\/p>\n

Sicily, Italy | Best Wine Destinations 2017<\/strong>
\nExplore a hotspot of beaches, volcanoes, ancient ruins and great wine and food.
\nBy\u00a0Kerin O\u2019Keefe<\/strong><\/span>
\nwww.winemag.com\/2017\/01\/05\/sicily-italy-best-wine-destinations-2017<\/a><\/p>\n

Published on January 5, 2017<\/em><\/p>\n

Sunny Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, sits just off the tip of the boot-shaped peninsula of Italy. Dotted with ancient Greek temples and Norman cathedrals built by former invaders, the island has a rich history and multifaceted cultural legacy. It also boasts miles of pristine beaches, breathtaking scenery and the highest active volcano in Europe, Mount Etna.\u00a0On top of those wonders, Sicily makes fantastic wines from native and international grapes. It produces everything from full-bodied reds to vibrant, mineral-driven whites. Pair them with the fantastic local cuisine, and you understand why this is a wine-lover\u2019s paradise.<\/p>\n

Where to Dine<\/strong>
\nAt\u00a0La Madia<\/strong>, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Licata, Chef Pino Cuttaia<\/strong> makes -delicious renditions of local dishes that complement a cracking wine list. In Linguaglossa, near Mount Etna, a high-end meal at winemaker-favorite\u00a0Shalai\u00a0is a must. In Palermo, stop in at\u00a0Antica Focaccceria San Francesco, which serves up traditional cuisine and is beloved by locals.<\/p>\n

Where to Stay<\/strong>
\nPalermo makes a great base for day trips to wineries on the western part of the island. Stay at the centrally located and elegant\u00a0Mercure Palermo Excelsior City. For visits to southeastern wine locations, lodge at the charming\u00a0Masseria degli Ulivi<\/strong>, a converted farmstead in the Val di Noto. On the slopes of Mount Etna and surrounded by estate vineyards, relax at the delightful\u00a0Tenuta San Michele.<\/p>\n

Other activities<\/strong>
\nSicily\u2019s pristine coastline offers world-class beaches and resorts that provide plenty of outdoor fun. The island also has a number of ancient monuments and archaeological sites. In Agrigento, the\u00a0Valley of the Temples\u00a0is a tour of some of the world\u2019s best-preserved Greek temples. It\u00a0dates to the 5th century BC\u00a0and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<\/p>\n

Budget Tip<\/strong>
\nRuins and columns of antique theater in Taormina, with Mount Etna in the background
\nLearn from the locals: Spend a day at the small seaside resort of\u00a0Mondello, just a short bus ride from Palermo. Relax on the beach and swim in its turquoise water.<\/p>\n

When to Go<\/strong>
\nTo enjoy the beaches and wine country, visit Sicily between late spring and early fall<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Where to Taste<\/strong>
\nWine is produced across the island. Many areas now have official wine roads, or\u00a0Strade del Vino,\u00a0that make touring wine country easier. Although producers encourage visitors to come and taste, make an appointment ahead of time. In Marsala, a visit to the historic cellars of the award-winning\u00a0Donnafugata<\/strong>\u00a0winery is a must. Be sure to stop in at leading estate\u00a0Tenuta Rapital\u00e0<\/strong>\u00a0in Camporeale, near Alcamo. In the southeastern province of Ragusa, plan a visit to cult bio-dynamic producer\u00a0COS<\/strong>\u00a0in Vittoria. A trip to\u00a0Tasca d\u2019Almerita<\/strong>\u00a0at its Regaleali estate, between Palermo and Caltanissetta, should also be on every wine lover\u2019s itinerary. In the northeast, tour Mount Etna\u2019s breathtaking wine country and plan a visit to\u00a0Cottanera<\/strong>. The award-winning<\/em><\/span>\u00a0Planeta<\/strong>\u00a0firm has five estates across Sicily, and it offers visitors an unparalleled journey into Sicily\u2019s winemaking territories.<\/p>\n

Prominent Wines<\/strong>
\nMany producers make sunny renditions from international grapes like Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, but most firms focus on the island\u2019s native grapes. From the hot plains of Marsala, try Grillo, a crisp and savory white, as well as Marsala, a fortified dessert wine that\u2019s making a comeback. Smooth and juicy Nero d\u2019Avola, at its best in the Noto area, is the island\u2019s flagship red. From the Vittoria area, don\u2019t miss the polished Cerasuolo di Vittoria or bright Frappato, the perfect summer red. Elegant, mineral-driven reds and whites from the slopes of Mount Etna are among the most exciting wines coming out of Italy.<\/p>\n

Local in the Know<\/strong>
\nCelebrated wine producer\u00a0Alessio Planeta<\/strong> suggests a visit to the northern zone of Mount Etna, where you can walk in the woods and through vineyards. \u201cOf all the stunning views on Etna, a hike up to the small, extinguished volcano of Mojo offers one of the most beautiful landscapes on the big volcano. Heading up to almost 3,300 feet, you\u2019ll find the grands crus, ending at the lava flow from 1991, showing all the great energy of the mountain<\/em><\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n

See the rest of 10 Best Wine Travel Destinations
\nPublished on January 5, 2017
\nWine Enthusiast,\u00a0www.winemag.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

10 Best Wine Travel Destinations of 2017 Pack your bags and explore our editors’ list of adventures for the wine obsessed. By\u00a0the\u00a0Editors\u00a0of Wine Enthusiast www.winemag.com\/2017\/01\/05\/2017winetravel Sicily, Italy | Best Wine Destinations 2017 Explore a hotspot of beaches, volcanoes, ancient ruins and great wine and food. »<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9917,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[354],"tags":[1748,419,450,1696,295,282,1750,1747,1749],"class_list":["post-9915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tourism","tag-best-destinations","tag-cos","tag-donnafugata","tag-italy","tag-sicily","tag-tasca-dalmerita","tag-tenuta-rapitala","tag-tourism","tag-wine-destinations"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wineinsicily.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wineinsicily.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wineinsicily.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wineinsicily.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wineinsicily.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9915"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.wineinsicily.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9915\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9918,"href":"https:\/\/www.wineinsicily.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9915\/revisions\/9918"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wineinsicily.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wineinsicily.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wineinsicily.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wineinsicily.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}