Sicily: Villa Chiarelli Manostalla Traditional Dinner & Wine
Experience an authentic Sicilian evening at Villa Chiarelli Manostalla. Enjoy a traditional dinner with local wines, hear stories of the estate, and experience Sicilia...
When to visit Sicily: harvest, en primeur and the calendar that shapes a cellar visit.
Spring
- Sicilia en Primeur, spring (April): Assovini Sicilia gathers international wine press and buyers in Palermo for two days of vertical and horizontal tastings of the new vintage from over 100 Sicilian producers. What to taste: ['Etna Rosso DOC new vintage', "Nero d'Avola Sicilia DOC", 'Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG', 'Grillo Sicilia DOC', 'Etna Bianco DOC']
- Contrade dell'Etna producer tasting, spring (April): The Contrade dell'Etna gathering brings together producers from the named contrade (individual lava-flow micro-zones) of Etna DOC for a walk-around tasting typically held on the volcano itself or in a venue in Randazzo. What to taste: ['Etna Rosso Contrada DOC', 'Etna Bianco Contrada DOC', 'Nerello Mascalese single-contrada', 'Carricante Etna Bianco Superiore']
- Cantine Aperte, late May (May): Movimento Turismo del Vino's national Cantine Aperte (Open Cellars) day is observed across Sicily with dozens of producer estates opening their doors for walk-in tastings, cellar tours and vineyard picnics. What to taste: ['Marsala DOC', 'Etna Rosso DOC', 'Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG', 'Frappato Sicilia DOC', 'Passito di Pantelleria DOC']
- Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG new vintage release, spring (March): The Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG annata is typically released in the spring following harvest, after a minimum of 18 months in vessel. The Classico tier requires 24 months. What to taste: ['Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG', 'Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico DOCG', 'Frappato Sicilia DOC', "Nero d'Avola Vittoria"]
Summer
- Nero d'Avola harvest in Noto, August (August): In the Val di Noto in the far south-east of Sicily, Nero d'Avola ripens in intense summer heat to very high sugar levels. The harvest typically begins in mid-August, among the earliest in Italy. What to taste: ["Nero d'Avola Sicilia DOC", 'Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG Frappato component', "Noto DOC Nero d'Avola"]
- Calici di Stelle, August (August): Calici di Stelle is a national Italian wine event held on the night of San Lorenzo (10 August), when the Perseids meteor shower peaks. Across Sicily, participating wine towns open piazzas, city walls and hilltop esplanades for evening outdoor tastings under the stars. In Sicily the event is active in Marsala, Ragusa, Noto and Taormina, with local producers pouring by the glass against a backdrop of meteor-watching. What to taste: ['Marsala Superiore DOC', "Nero d'Avola Sicilia DOC", 'Etna Rosso DOC', 'Malvasia delle Lipari DOC']
- ViniMilo, Milo (Etna Bianco Superiore), late summer (August): ViniMilo is a small annual wine fair held in Milo, the village at the eastern foot of Etna that is the only commune entitled to the Etna Bianco Superiore DOC designation. What to taste: ['Etna Bianco Superiore DOC Carricante', 'Etna Bianco DOC', 'Etna Rosso DOC new vintage']
- Pantelleria Zibibbo harvest, August (August): On Pantelleria, the Zibibbo harvest takes place in high summer under extreme heat. After picking, grapes are laid on mats or hung in shaded passiti sheds for weeks to concentrate sugar before pressing. What to taste: ['Zibibbo passiti in the drying stage', 'Passito di Pantelleria DOC previous vintage', 'Moscato di Pantelleria DOC']
Autumn
- Etna harvest, September to October (September): The Etna harvest runs late by Italian standards. At 700 to 1000 metres above sea level, Nerello Mascalese ripens slowly: the north-facing Solicchiata and Calderara contrade are typically the last to be picked, often in mid-October. Harvest-experience visits are available at estates including Cornelissen, Passopisaro and Terre Nere, where guests participate in hand-harvest of the pre-phylloxera alberello (bush vine) plots. What to taste: ['Etna Rosso DOC just-pressed free-run juice', 'Nerello Mascalese fermentation tank samples', 'Etna Bianco Carricante new vintage']
- Marsala vendemmia and Florio harvest events, late September (September): The Marsala harvest in the Trapani province typically takes place in late September. Cantine Florio and Pellegrino open cellar doors during the harvest period for guided tours of the historic bagli (warehouse cellars) where new-vintage base wine begins its Marsala solera process alongside decades-old reserves. The combination of active fermentation and aged-oxidative notes makes harvest visits to Marsala producers uniquely sensory. What to taste: ['Marsala Vergine DOC', 'Marsala Superiore DOC', 'Marsala Fine DOC', 'Grillo Sicilia DOC harvest']
- Malvasia delle Lipari harvest on Salina, September (September): On the Aeolian island of Salina, the Malvasia delle Lipari DOC harvest takes place in September. The aromatic Malvasia di Lipari grape is harvested by hand from terraced vineyards overlooking the sea and dried in the sun on cane mats (appassimento) to produce the amber, honeyed passito wine. Carlo Hauner and Barone di Villagrande are the leading producers. The ferry crossing from Milazzo and the island's volcanic landscape make this a memorable wine-tourism experience. What to taste: ['Malvasia delle Lipari DOC passito', 'Malvasia delle Lipari DOC naturale (dry)', 'local Aeolian capers and cured fish pairing']
Winter
- Marsala solera season, winter cellar visits (January): The quiet winter months are the best time to visit the historic Marsala bagli. With no harvest activity and cooler temperatures favouring oxidative clarity, winter tastings at Pellegrino, Florio and Marco de Bartoli are unhurried and focused on the differentiated Marsala styles: Fine, Superiore, Superiore Riserva, Vergine and Vergine Stravecchio. Tasting Vergine against Fine shows the full range of complexity the appellation can achieve. What to taste: ['Marsala Fine DOC', 'Marsala Superiore Riserva DOC', 'Marsala Vergine Stravecchio DOC', 'Grillo base wine comparison']
Book wine experiences in Sicily
Palermo by Night with Street Food, Wine & Local Legends
Discover Palermo at night on a walking tour with street food, Sicilian wine, and live storytelling inspired by local legends, folklore, mystery, and unusual Sicilian tales.
Tour and Premium wine tasting at Duca di Salaparuta
A journey through the flavors and aromas of Sicily awaits you at the Salaparuta wineries, where history and passion for wine come together in a memorable experience
Wine tastings and winery visits in Sicily (51) · Wine tours and day trips in Sicily (44)
Seasonal in Sicily, FAQ
When is the best time to visit Sicily for wine?
Peak wine-travel season in Sicily is spring through autumn, with harvest the standout window.
Do I need an appointment to taste at Sicily estates?
classified-growth and grand-cru estates require booking days to weeks ahead; smaller family domaines often take walk-ins midweek.
What hours do Sicily cellars and tasting rooms keep?
most estates open 10:00 to 17:00 by appointment, often closed Sunday and Monday.
How does tipping work at Sicily tastings?
tipping is not expected at tastings; buying a bottle from the cellar door is the customary thank-you.
What is the one wine to try in Sicily?
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Sicily rewards trust.