Spring comes early to Sicily and we should have the benefit of warm weather and a profusion of wild flowers as a backdrop to our visit. The cultural legacy, as well as the vineyards are widely distributed round the island, so we are based in two centres to make the best use of travelling time. However, both towns are themselves of great interest, our first sojourn being in Sicily’s oldest inhabited site at Enna. The wines now attracting international attention are relative newcomers but fast making up for lost time. Here is an ideal climate for fully ripe, hot-country reds, both from international grape varieties as well as their own indigenous ones, whilst the mountain valleys of the centre provide the necessary altitude for crisp, refreshing whites. In addition to these distinctive lighter styles, there are also some of Italy’s most delicious dessert wines which hail from the southern coast and outlying islands; not so well known as Rivesaltes and Beaumes de Venise, but just as luscious.
Sicily is an important venue historically as it has been continually occupied by every seafaring nation from the Phoenicians and Greeks onwards. The greatest concentration of Greek temples is here, with those of Agrigento and Segesta among the most notable. We shall also take in one of the biggest and best preserved Roman villas, the Villa Imperiale, as well the exquisite Romanesque cathedrals of Monreale and Cefalù, with the strong Byzantine and Arabic influences evident in their architecture. This island is so rich in history that the holiday needs to be balanced between the two, which is easy to achieve as many of the ancient sites are en route to the wine areas and vice versa. Fine, fresh and distinctive local cuisine is the other important ingredient of our stay, and Sicily does not disappoint, especially at this abundant time of year.