The Movimento Turismo del Vino and the last toast of 2022
Also in Sicily the Movimento Turismo del Vino, the association that intends to promote wine culture through visits to production sites, closes 2022 with the Open Cellars at Christmas event (Cantine Aperte a Natale). In December, the wineries associated with the wine tourism portal open to the public to toast together in the vineyards and cellars of these organizations that do business with respect for traditions and the environment.
There are not only wine tastings, but also markets for Christmas shopping and guided tours. The event also takes place in companies belonging to the association located in other metropolitan cities or in free municipal consortia of the Sicilian Region, as well as in other Italian regions. The time has therefore come to let yourself be carried away by the Christmas atmosphere and live magical experiences in the company of winemakers, to close a year and inaugurate another in the name of responsible and sustainable consumption of wine.
Wineries participating in the event in Palermo
Below are the wineries open throughout the month of December 2022 as part of the December event of the Movimento Turismo del Vino in the metropolitan city of Palermo.
The Duca di Salaparuta Cellars open their doors in Casteldaccia (in Via Nazionale, just over 20 kilometers from the center and port of Palermo), on Mondays, by telephone reservation on 091945201, for guided tours, purchases and tastings of wines from the Nero d’Avola, Nerello Mascalese, Frappato, Pinot Noir, Grillo and Insolia grape varieties.
The cellar, the estates and the Baglio di Pianetto agri-relais of Count Paolo Marzotto are located in the municipality of Santa Cristina Gela in the metropolitan city of Palermo, precisely in Via Francia (also in this case the distance from the center of Palermo is about 20 kilometers). Tastings and shopping are possible on Mondays. The vine varieties processed are the white grape varieties Viognier, Insolia, Catarratto, Sauvignon and Moscato, and the black grape varieties Nero d’Avola, Syrah, Frappato, Merlot and Petit Verdot for the reds.
Alessandro di Camporeale, in the Mandranova district of the municipality of Camporeale in the metropolitan city of Palermo, about 45 kilometers from the historic city centre, offers products from the Syrah, Nero d’Avola, Catarratto, Grillo, Sauvignon Blanc vines and extra virgin olive oil, with the possibility of purchasing the products in the cellar, where you can go by telephone reservation on 0924 37038. Among the house labels we find various DOC Sicilia wines.
In the Terre di Gratia farm it is also possible, by paying, to stay overnight, since there is a bed & breakfast, as well as make purchases in the cellar, which can be visited for shopping and wine and oil tasting, on occasion di Cantine Aperte a Natale event of December 2022, by telephone reservation by calling 328 645 2411. The vineyards and olive groves are located in Camporeale. The Perricone, Lucignola, Catarratto, Nero d’Avola, Grillo and Syrah vines are processed exclusively with organic methods and exclusive indigenous yeasts.
In the Camporeale area, as well as in the Agro di Monreale area, the Candido winery cultivates Grillo, Inzolia, Nero d’Avola, Sauvignon, Perricone, Merlot and Petit Verdot vines. Tastings and the purchase of wines in the Contrada Montagnola cellar are possible every day from 10:00 to 18:00.
The Valdibella Agricultural Cooperative, in Camporeale, opens the cellar doors to everyone for a visit every day in December 2022 from 11:00 to 12:30 and from 17:00 to 18:30. Bottles of wines produced from Catarratto, Grillo, Zibibbo, Nero d’Avola, Syrah, Perricone and Nerello Mascalese vines using organic farming methods can be purchased. Here too there is the possibility of an overnight stay for a fee and purchases in the cellar, as well as that of wine tasting.
The proposal of the Tenuta San Giaime, in the Madonie, contemplates the tasting of wines and oil. The Wi-Fi, the park with swimming pool, nature trails and horse riding are also available, always by reservation. The farm of Alessio Gaetano Cicco is located in Contrada San Giaime in Gangi, just over 120 kilometers from the center of Palermo. By calling 3773416470 in advance, you can taste the products of the Syrah, Grillo, Nerello Mascalese and Pinot Noir vines, among which there are both DOC Sicilia and IGP Terre Siciliane brands.
To the metropolitan city of Palermo by ferry
To arrive, starting from the Italian mainland, at the Palermo wineries participating in the Movimento Turismo del Vino Sicilia event, located in municipalities in the metropolitan city of Palermo, a convenient solution can certainly be to embark with a vehicle on one of the ferries to Palermo departing from Genoa, Livorno, Civitavecchia or Naples.
Ferry departures on the Livorno – Palermo – Livorno line, in December, are three times a week and in the evening, with a crossing time from city to city of nineteen and a half hours, which can be spent comfortably by reserving a standard or superior cabin, or also an armchair in the dedicated room. To book a one-way, return or round-trip ticket on the Livorno – Palermo ferry route, you can use the form on the page to which the link refers, where preventive information on departure days can also be found further down, timetables and prices, the distance traveled in kilometers and more. Fast meals can be eaten on board; there is also no shortage of cafes. As for entertainment, you can have fun in the video game room and in the piano bar, while the little ones can do it in the area specially equipped for them. Various products and gadgets can be purchased in the on-board shop.
The departures of the December races of the ships operating on the Naples – Palermo – Naples line are also three times a week and in the evening. The journey time from city to city is approximately ten hours, which can be spent comfortably in the standard or superior cabin, or in a reclining seat. To book a round trip ticket, return ticket, or both, on the Naples – Palermo ferry route, you can fill in the appropriate form on the page that can be reached by clicking on the link, where you can obtain information relating to departure dates, timetables and prices, the distance in kilometers between the two ports and more. On-board services include bar and à la carte restaurant, self-service, children’s play area and shop or vending machines.
In the event that seats or cabins are not selected when booking, you can take advantage of the cheaper deck passage, with which you can sit on the seats on the internal and external decks of the ship and in the common areas. On these routes a special procedure is active thanks to which with the ticket purchased online, in digital or printed format, you can go and check-in directly alongside, avoiding the queue at the port ticket office because there is no need to buy the ticket or to convert it into a boarding pass: it is sufficient to show the ticket and identity documents of the passengers directly upon boarding.
