Italy 2016 – Southern Italy

Taking the Night Train from Palermo Sicily to Rome

(June 2016) It was primarily a budgetary issue that caused us to take the night train from Palermo to Rome. The airfare was too expensive for our group, especially with all of our luggage. Besides sleeping on the train would also save on one night’s lodging, and it would be an adventure. We had no idea what a great adventure it would be, or how much fun. Many people said it was one of the more memorable events of the trip. So we took the bus from Cefalu to the Palermo train station, about a 40 minute drive. As we [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:37:06-08:00August 30, 2016|

An Afternoon Sojourn to Cefalu Beach, Sicily

(June 2016) The previous evening in Messina, we had enjoyed a group celebration dinner at LaTonnaro Restaurant. Known for its fresh seafood, we were happy with the large platters of mussels and calamari we started with, along with a local sparkling wine made from the inzolia grape. The next course was a seafood risotto, followed by a main course of stuffed swordfish. We ordered a variety of wines including several made of the grillo grape, which many people had fallen in love with, along with two different bottles of nero d’avola. Platters of Mussels at la Tonnaro Restaurant in Messina [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:37:28-08:00August 26, 2016|

The Breathtaking Views and Wines of Abbazia Santa Anastasia

(June 2016) That morning we checked out of our hotel in Messina around 8am and drove about an hour and a half along the northern coast of Sicily towards Palermo. Our destination was Abbazia Santa Anastasia, which is a winery housed in a 12th century Abbey where the Benedictine monks were making wine more than 900 years ago. Stone Courtyard at Abbazia Santa Anastasia In the 1970’s the old abbey was purchased by the current owner and converted into a winery with a hotel and restaurant. Perched on a hilltop only 7 miles from the ocean, the abbey has amazing views [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:37:49-08:00August 23, 2016|

Prince of the Volcano – Antonio at Benanti Winery on Mt. Etna

(June 2016) Benantiis one of the oldest and most prestigious wineries in Sicily, and as such, only allows tastings by appointment in their family mansion located in the small town of Viagrande. There is no sign announcing the winery, and the estate is surrounded by a tall wall and high iron gates. Driving along the hilly residential road with glimpses of the blue sea below, it is very easy to miss. The Estate of Benanti Winery Fortunately our bus driver had the GPS coordinates, and Lorenzo, our guide, went inside the property to make sure we were at the correct [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:40:12-08:00August 19, 2016|

Visiting Planeta Winery on Mt. Etna, Sicily

(June 2016) The next morning we left the hotel around 9:30 to drive to our 11am appointment with Planeta Winery at their Feudo di Mezzo location on Mt. Etna. Planeta actually has six different wineries across the island, all with unique names, but they all fall under the family brand name of Planeta. Mt. Etna with Smoke on Top from Earlier Erruption First Glimpse of Mt Etna – Awe Inspiring The drive from Messina to Mt Etna was beautiful, with colorful red and pink flowers along the highway and the blue sea twinkling at us. When we rounded a corner [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:40:34-08:00August 14, 2016|

Donnafugata – A Legendary Sicilian Winery

(June 2016) Donnafugatahas always been one of my favorite Italian wineries – ever since I had tasted their magical wines at VinItaly several years ago. The experience of tasting their famous dessert wine, Ben Ryé Passito di Pantelleria, with its honey, apricot and nutty notes, has long stayed on my palate memory. Even more memorable were the photos they showed me of the zibibbo grapes that went into the wine. Growing on the tiny island of Pantelleria, south of Sicily and closer to the coast of Africa, the vine must be protected in holes dug into the sandy volcanic soil [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:41:01-08:00August 11, 2016|

Overview of Sicily Wine Region

(June 2016) It took less than 24 hours in Sicily to realize we were in a different country, and it was not Italy. This was a sentiment not only pronounced repeatedly by the Sicilians we met – “We are different. We are not like the rest of Italy. We used to be our own country.” – but also by the landscape, architecture, food and wine. It was different. Even the palpable energy and seemly ready instinct of the people to argue about any topic, made us realize that we were far removed from the quieter and gentler wine regions of [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:41:22-08:00August 5, 2016|

Driving from Puglia to Sicily via Basilicata and Calabria

(May 2016) Though most people take an airplane flight to Sicily, since we were already in Puglia and had a big comfortable bus with a great chauffeur for our 28 travelers, we decided to drive. It turned out to be an excellent decision because we were able to see some very beautiful parts of Southern Italy, including the non-touristy provinces of Basilicata and Calabria. The Beach in Scilla, Calabria Basilicata – Home of Aglianico del Vulture We left our hotel at 8am and eventually came to the border of the Basilicata province. Basilicata was similar to Puglia, in that the [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:41:50-08:00August 3, 2016|

Alberobello and Lecce – Two Key Cultural Sites of Puglia

(May 2016) Because Puglia is one of the oldest regions of Italy – colonized by the ancient Greeks in the 8th century BC – it is considered to have many important archaeological and cultural aspects. We visited two of these, namely the village of Alberobello and the walled city of Lecce. Trulli Houses in Alberobello Amazing Alberobello - Fairytale Town with Conical Stone Houses When I read about the village of Alberobello on my previous trip to Puglia and didn’t have time to visit, I made a promise to myself that I would return and stay there some day. Therefore, [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:42:11-08:00August 2, 2016|

Cavorting at Cantine Cantele – A Joyful Winery in Puglia Focusing on Negroamaro

After lunch in the historic walled city of Lecce, we drove about one hour north to Cantine Cantele, a large beautiful winery housed in an impressive white stucco building in the country. We were welcomed by Federica in Hospitality who had warned us in advance that Cantine Aperte was taking place in Italy that weekend. Cantele Winery - Photo Credit: Cantele.com “What is Cantine Aperte?” I asked. “It sounds like ‘winery open’.” “Yes,” she said, “It means that most of the wineries in Italy have an open house that weekend, and that anyone can visit the wineries and taste wine [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:42:34-08:00July 31, 2016|

Cantine San Marzano – Home of the Best Primativo in Puglia, Italy

When I contacted Angelo Cotugno, Export Manager at Cantine San Marzano, to see if we could schedule a winery visit on Sunday morning at 11am, I didn’t realize that wineries are usually not open on Sunday in Italy. Since I’m from Napa/Sonoma, where Sundays are often one of the busiest wine tourism days, I was caught off guard when Angelo informed me they were not open. “However, we will open the winery especially for you!” These were such sweet words to my ears, and so incredibly kind – illustrating the warm hospitality of Puglia. Indeed, not only did Angelo show [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:42:57-08:00July 29, 2016|

Cantina Albea – A Friendly and Delicious Wine Tourism Experience in Puglia

(May 2016) On the afternoon of our first day in Puglia, we were scheduled to visit Cantina Albea - a small winery located in the town of Alberobello, and just a short walk from our hotel. We were greeted by Tommaso Marangi, who has a contagious smile and exhibits much passion for wine and Puglia. He gave us a tour of their fascinating museum, explained the wine making process, and then allowed us to taste several wines. About Cantina Albea Winery Located close to the Locorotondo DOC, Cantina Albea focuses on grape varietals from this region, such as Verdeca and [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:43:20-08:00July 20, 2016|

Overview of Puglia Wine Region

(May 2016) Driving from the hills of Campania to the flat dry plains of Puglia illustrated the strong difference between these two famous wine regions of Southern Italy. However, even though they are very different in landscape and grape varietals, it only took us two hours to drive from Benevento to Alberobello, the ancient and charming town we stayed in for our two days in Puglia. Alberobello is a Unesco World Heritage site because of its unusual “trulli” architecture – tiny conical shaped houses made of stone. Truilli Architecture in Alberobello, Puglia The Unique Beauty of Puglia’s Landscape and Climate [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:43:45-08:00July 10, 2016|

The Queen of Campania Wine

(May 2016) Milena Pepe, CEO of Tenuta Cavelier Pepe, swept across the front porch of her winery to greet us with open arms and a huge Italian welcome. The winery, located in the rolling hills of Campania, looked like a small palace with tall white pillars along the front and the vineyards beyond. Milena beckoned us to line up on the porch for a photo, and then for the next two hours, she proceeded to dazzle, delight, and inform us about the unique wines of Campania and the many indigenous grape varieties she is using at her estate. Visit to Tenuta [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:44:27-08:00July 3, 2016|

The King of Aglianico – Piero at Mastroberardino Winery

I first met Piero Mastroberardino at Vinitaly several years ago. As a fellow professor, we immediately had something in common. He invited me to join a vertical tasting of his Taurasi Aglianico, which featured four wines from each decade of the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s. It couldn’t have been a better introduction to aglianico, because it made me fall in love with the grape and wine. The complex black plum, tar and earth notes, with the piercing acidity and structured tannins of the wine allows it to last for decades, and grow in complexity. Rightly called the “Barolo of [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T13:44:48-08:00June 27, 2016|