Excursion S.a.l.t. wine, pasta & cannoli: a sicilian feast with sallier de la tour tour at Palermo

Wheat, grapes, sugar. Romans, Greeks, Arabs. The many layers that make up Sicily's history and gastronomic tradition inspire this tasty tour that will take you from an iconic artisanal candy shop in the famous market of Ballarò to one of Tasca d'Almerita's most beautiful estates, in the countryside just outside of the city, where you will feast your eyes and taste buds thanks to great wines, extraordinary pasta (made by a local family with Sicilian Durum wheat) and the best cannoli, freshly made for the occasion.

Your Host: Costanza Chirivino

Young Costanza Chrivino's heritage traces back to 3 of Italy's greatest dynasties of food and wine (Tasca d'Almerita, Sallier de La Tour and Chirivino); with a Master's Degree in Culture and Communication, she enjoys being the face of Sallier de La Tour and traveling the world on a mission to share this beautiful story of Italian excellence.

Ballaro' Market, Historic Candy Shop

At the pier, meet your guide and your host and start a short panoramic drive until the picturesque market of Ballarò, in the heart of Palermo, where you will start this rather unique experience.

Rather than heading for the usual touristy joints, you will visit the historic "bottega" (shop) of Azienda Terranova, a family business born in 1890, where 5 generations of "maestri caramellai" have made square-shaped hard candy out of the best carob, star anise and sugar. In time, their sweet treats have become iconic, a true hallmark of the best artisanal candy making tradition of Sicily.

Sallier de la Tour Wine Estate, Private Visit with the Owner, Walk through the Vineyards

From there, with a 60-minute drive, you will head out of Palermo, towards the green slopes and vineyards of the Sallier de La Tour estate, one of the magnificent properties of counts Tasca d'Almerita, worldwide-famous winemakers. The estate, which sits in the heart of the Doc Monreale (the cradle of Syrah), is exclusively reserved for your visit.

Costanza, the owner of Sallier de La Tour will lead you on a walk through the vineyards, sharing many anecdotes from the history of this noble family and introducing the 3 different Syrah produced by the over one century-old estate, as well as the other wines made from autochthone grapes Grillo, Inzolia and Nero d'Avola.

Wine Tasting and Cellar Visit, Sicilian Feast Lunch, Live Pasta Cooking, Cannoli Live Preparation

You will taste the wines and visit the cellar, and then move over to a delicious feast, featuring the artisanal pasta of another local legend, Pastificio Feudo Mondello (recently visited by none other than chef Alain Ducasse!), where local heirloom varieties of Durum wheat are stone-milled and turned into delicious pasta, hearty, velvety, porous, cooked in front of your eyes and tossed in wooden troughs. With the pasta, you will also taste a selection of traditional dishes, from the Sallier de la Tour family cookbook.

To top it all off, you will experience the poetry of the artisan pâtissier from nearby Piana degli Albanesi mixing the dough for your cannoli's casing and filling them right before handing them to you with freshly whipped sheep's milk ricotta. This is unlike any other cannolo you will taste, as the recipe for the casing is different from all others. But don't go asking for the recipe: it's a well-kept secret, and has remained such for centuries…

After this memorable day rich in flavors and souvenirs, reboard your coach for the 60-minute drive to the pier.

Points of interests

points of interest seen on this excursion may include: Palermo, Historic artisanal hard candy shop, the picturesque market of Ballarò, one of counts Tasca d'Almeritas' most beautiful estates - Sallier de la Tour, walk through the vineyards, visit to the cellar, unique tasting of wines from autochthone grapes, artisanal Sicilian pasta, live demo of cannoli making.

Note

Please note: This S.A.L.T. experience involves a moderate to extensive amount of walking of approximately 1km at times over cobblestoned, uneven and natural surfaces (vineyards), with a few steps to negotiate to get on/off the coach and at the winery. This tour is not suitable for guests with limited mobility. Walking at the wine estate is at the discretion of each guest. Lightweight, comfortable clothing with flat, closed-toe walking shoes are recommended as well as a jacket. Guests must be at least 18 years old to be served alcoholic beverages. The tour sequence may vary. During the summer months, especially July and August, hot and sunny weather with high temperatures should be expected. Guests are advised to drink water throughout the day and always bring hat, sunglasses and sun protection from the ship. Although Credit Cards should be accepted, we sugguest to bring Euros with you. Space on this tour is very limited; we suggest you book in advance to avoid disappointment. Although space on this tour is very limited a minimum number of participants is required to operate. Please note that guides may have accents reflecting their regional backgrounds, which adds to the diversity and richness of the experience.