Where to Stay in Catania SICILY | WHITE LOTUS Winery

Where to Stay in Catania SICILY | WHITE LOTUS Winery

today we’re drinking wine in the most scenic Sicilian city in Italy so stay tuned [Music] hi everyone I’m Marine from more to now and we did wine tasting in Tuscany so now we want to try the the new the Nuance of it Italian wine which is Sicily we’re going to drive through the slopes of Mount Etna and we’re going to visit two Wineries and at the end I’m going to tell you which one was my favorite and one of the wineries we’re actually going to visit is the one featured in The White Lotus so I am excited I am ready for some cilian wine and I think we’re going to have fun but first how do you get from Italy to Sicily we flew from Rome to katania which took about an hour you can also take the ferry from Naples to palmo which takes between 8 and 1/2 to 12 hours we decided to fly because it was time efficient and affordable since our time was limited in syst IC once we landed in Katana the first thing we did was Rent A Car public transportation is also an option in Sicily if you don’t want to drive however the bus routes are limited so if for example you wanted to go wine tasting and did not rent a car you would have to book a wine tasting tour that would pick you up and drop you off at your hotel for us renting a car was more convenient since we only had 4 days in Sicily and wanted to do a mini road trip around the island if you’re planning to drive in Sicily I recommend getting an international driver’s permit in case you get pulled over by the police that only happened to us once in katania and we were so happy we had the permit all we had to do was show it to the police officer and they let us continue driving with no problems whatsoever another Pro tip and this applies to any car rental you ever do moving forward and that is to make sure that you take a picture and even a video of the car you’re renting before driving off this saved us big time we picked up our car from Katana and dropped it off in palmo so we visited two different car rental offices there was a dent in the car we rented and the only thing that saved us from not being charged extra was having the video proof that the dent was already there driving in Katana was easy the roads are well paved except for driving through the slopes of Mount Etna and active volcano to go wine tasting we drove through many dirt roads there but it was still okay we landed in Katya at 11:00 a.m. and we decided to spend the entire day exploring the city before heading wine tasting on the slopes of Mount Etna and ending up in darmin the Second City on our list from the airport we drove to our hotel where we were staying overnight Hotel Villa Romeo Hotel Villa Romeo was budget friendly within walking distance to the main things to do in Katan and offered compliment M breakfast so for us it ticked all the boxes of a fast passing through town overnight day here’s a little hotel tour if you’re staying overnight in Katana I want to take a moment to talk about these head busts I found them so cool and they are all over Sicily Sicilian head busts also known as test Moto or Moors heads are traditional Sicilian ceramic art forms and symbolize luck these busts are often found in pairs one masculine and one feminine with their heads decorated with plants flowers or fruits they usually wear turbin or crowns and the legend goes that the heads represent the tragic love affair of a sicilian Noble woman and a young Arab men when their love was discovered the woman’s family had them both beheaded and their heads turned into vases as a warning the heads are often displayed on doorsteps Porsches and balconies they can be found in many different variations bright colors or even a single color like black or white these make a great souvenir to take back home and remember your time in Sicily the decor of this hotel felt very Regal all the hallways have bold colors and patterns and the vibe of Sicily is just very different from that of Italy and in general the hotel also has a lovely patio where you can have breakfast which is lovely this was our room which was a great size for a budget hotel we even had a window for natural lighting so we can’t complain there the hotel offers paid parking but you can also check the streets for free parking we did and our car was fine we parked on the streets for free after dropping off our bags we decided to explore katania on foot walking is my favorite way to explore fla new city and katania was no exception we walked to Piaza Del Doo as 17-minute walk from our hotel we visited the Church of St Francis of acisi and the famous Fountain of the elephant which was undergoing Renovations while we were there so we decided to continue walking the square there are so many cool fountains in Katan this one was one of my favorite ones if you’ve been following my blog then you know I am obsessed with fish cones and coko Sicilian fish laap is my go-to for a fish cone snack in Sicily I highly recommend this spot if you want on the go street food snacks there’s a whole debate about whether Sicily is part of Italy or its own country as Sicilians are very proud to be independent technically Sicily is considered one of the 20 regions in Italy and Sicily is not its own country but an autonomous region of Italy Sicily feels very different from the rest of Italy there’s a charm explosion of colors and a collective Vibe here the only other city in Italy that gave me those same Vibes was Naples after walking around town we decided to grab lunch at bukata which specializes in traditional steaks pasta and seafood dishes we had the spaghetti with black squid ink and a side of oven baked potatoes with the grilled salmon steak with an arugula salad after lunch we made our way to Patza universita for US 24 hours in katania was more than enough time to see the city’s highlights we walked along Via Santa Fila a tiny street with hidden alley Le that are hip trendy and great for night life in katania my favorite bars here are Olivia Coke cocktail company BM Mixology Bar and circus cocktail bar a street food snack you have to try while visiting Kat is an arancini this Knack originated in the 10th Century while Sicily was under Arab rule these fried fries balls are shaped like Mount Etna and are often filled with cheeses or meat my favorite place to go for a quick bite and try an arancini at in katania is the takeout restaurant arania espresso cafino welcome to day two we are starting our second day with an frosco breakfast checking out from our hotel then hitting the road and going wine tasting on the slopes of Mount Etna now this is where we got stopped by the police during our entire time in Sicily right around the corner about a 2-minute drive from our hotel as I said previously all we had to do was show our International driving permit and we were good to go I created a wine route for you guys to follow with my top nine wineries I wanted to visit the route heads from Katana to Tower Mina our end destination driving through the slopes of Mount Etna I’ll also share the pros and cons of each one and why I chose the ones I did during my visit because I obviously did not go to nine wineries in one day we made reservations at two of them I’ll share my experience at each one and I’ll also give you the whole layout of our route because it’s an easy to follow route and the wineries are backto back one after the other so it’s so much fun especially if you have a designated driver my friends often ask me is Sicily good for wine tasting and I have to say yes Sicily is up and coming in the wine world and I enjoyed the wines and the experience more than my wine tasting time in Tuscany I know some of you might find this statement a bit controversial after all susin is a staple for Italian wine but I dare you to try something new and give wine tasting in Sicily a try we loved our experience the wines were fantastic the scenery the Landscapes and everything and it’s an island so you’re tasting amazing wine on an island so which is better for wine tasting Tuscany or Sicily both regions had fantastic wine if you’re limited in time and have to choose I would pick depending on your likes and your personality if you’re into visiting art galleries and medieval towns while eating some meat Delicacies then I recommend Tuscany Sicily has more of an island laid-back yet upscale Vibe depending on where you visit in Sicily you’ll also find Greek temples volcanic Landscapes that you can track for all my adventure Seekers out there and plenty of decadent seafood dishes so let’s say you decided to go wine tasting in Sicily which which is why you’re watching this video if you’re wondering where the best wine region in Sicily is that would be the slopes of Mount Etna which is home to some of the most renowned Vineyards in Sicily Nero diabola is the most important red wine grape in Sicily and is one of Italy’s most important indigenous varieties here are other grapes grown in Sicily now that we know a little bit more about the grapes it’s time to head on to some Vineyards our starting point will be Hotel Villa Romeo but you can adjust your starting point depending on your itinerary our first stop is just a 14-minute drive to Etna Urban Winery this Winery offers experiences so you can walk through the trails or do one of their gouret tastings both of which actually sound really cool on a tour you learn about the history of wine making in Sicily they offer different tours and packages depending on the month and time you visit what’s cool about this Winery is that they provide yearr round packages so you can always visit even if it’s offseason they also offer a shuttle service from katania which is great if you decide not to rent a car or book a guided tour the only downside for me about this Winery is that their tastings are in group settings so they have a fixed time I want want to go back and do the wine and Ceramics class it looks so cool my husband and I collect mugs from all the countries we visit so making one while traveling would be a neat experience for both of us now something really cool they actually sell this bottle of wine at my local wine shop in NYC so every time I want a Daydream that I am in Sicily I pour myself a class from my NYC apartment and relive my time near Mount Etna from Urban Winery will drive 43 minutes to our second Winery Gambino we made a reservation online for this wiery and booked the lunch and wine tasting this was my favorite wine tasting experience in Sicily you can book an appointment at Gambino at any time you want which was very convenient for us getting there was not the easiest but it was not hard at all either they have plenty of signs for us to follow along the way what made the drive a bit more challenging was that our GPS for some reason took us through some dirt roads at times but we found our way nevertheless this entire area in general is filled with Vineyards so if you get lost you’ll end up at another one so hey it’s all good arriving at Gambino in our time at Gambino in general was one of the highlights of our trip the wine tasting venue at Gambino is elevated so you can see The Vineyards and the beautiful landscape from above when you arrive they give you a mini tour of the land with a complimentary tasting and explain why the soil surrounding Mount Etna is so unique and special for wine production and then you’re invited to savor and indulge in the local wine and cheeses of the area our tasting included four glasses of wine from their current vintage paired with vegetable preserves a selection of Sicilian cheese cuscus with vegetables local cold cuts a hardboiled egg bread olive oil produced by Gambino themselves and grilled porked meat sausage for dessert we had a small Sicilian canoli stuffed with cream Rota cheese everything was delicious and paired excellently these were the selection of wines we tried we had an excellent time here what’s really cool about Gamino is that they’re not stingy with their wine they even ask you did you like that one do you want more a full glass and this is at no additional cost so they’re not trying to upsell you or anything the hospitality here was on point that’s part of why I didn’t make it to the other five wineries on my list I’m never going to say no to free beino we had such a great experience at Gambino and we didn’t even want to leave I would have been okay with just going to that one Winery alone it was it was magical it was a great time if you can only visit One Winery on the slopes of Mount Etna go with Gambino you won’t regret it something worth mentioning if you’re driving in Sicily is that once you get off the highway the streets will be narrower so that’s something to keep in mind if you’re planning on renting a car other wineries you can visit near Gambino if you you want to continue wine tasting and not drive too far are Etna viviera Winery in cilio tanut D you can also add Emilio Etna wine making your total Journey 52 minutes stopping at five wineries however we wanted to visit the White Lotus Winery and if you’re a fan of the show leave a comment below so after Gambino we headed straight to planeta a 24-minute drive five planeta has many wineries throughout sic so this is something to keep in mind when making a reservation here so you reserve to the right one you’ll see the different regions on their website we wanted to visit the one from the White Lotus and that Winery is Etna so it’s located on the slopes of Mount Etna once you’re on the planeta website you have different experiences to choose from we chose the White Lotus wine art and Landscape experience you need to make a reservation ahead of time and I recommend you do this for all the wineries you want to visit I’ll link all the wineries below go to their website and choose your favorite ones that’s what we did and we ended up going to Gambino and planeta planet’s tours are also in a group setting so they’re less flexible than gambinos the tour includes visiting The Vineyards tasting five wines and their local olive oil and some bites you can select just the tour or the tour with lunch after the show The Winery inflated their prices by more than half from my personal experience the tasting is a bit overpriced especially when comparing Gambino versus planeta this is a great time to mention that this video is not sponsored I paid for both wine tasting experiences and this is my review of both fineries this is how I felt and this is my personal experience the road is fine while driving to get to planeta and there’s enough signage along the way guiding you the only thing I enjoyed about the wine tour at planeta was that you walk through the Vineyards while you taste each wine and see where the grapes are growing so it’s like the grape that’s on your glass is growing right there next to you so that was really cool to watch but that was about it I love that I can find the wine in the US I bought a few bottles in NYC before VIs in the winery so I was really excited about this wine tasting this here is where the famous wine tasting scene from The White Lotus took place another thing I found cool was that when you are in the winery they have on display the different types of soil from All The Vineyards this influences the flavors of the grapes and the notes of the wines from the land that it’s growing and that specific Winery in general I thought that was really neat to see the different soils labeled from all the different [Music] wineries with your glass they also give you a glass holder Vib type of thing that you can put around your neck this was my first time getting one of these and I don’t know how I feel about it yet do you guys find it useful as I mentioned before you can walk through the vineyard while tasting each wine which was cool the location is beautiful and feels more intimate and secluded compared to Gambino [Music] [Music] at planeta you get one pore no extras and it’s a small pore for the price it’s a regular pore for wine tasting but when you compare it to Gambino’s generous pores for half the price it stinks a little we tried five different wines and had a great time but who’s going to have a lousy time wine tasting come on [Music] [Music] [Music] these were the snacks we got with our tasting I had a great time in Sicily I am so glad I decided to add a stop here on our time traveling through Italy I will link below my favorite tours for wine tasting in Sicily and even trekking Mount Etna an epic adventure w [Music] [Music] here are three more if you’re looking for more Vineyard to visit after planeta and a complete route for wine tasting on the slopes of Mount Etna [Music] [Music] and on a happy note we are heading to our next destination D [Music] minina if you want to continue exploring Sicily with us remember to like And subscribe for next week’s episode in which we explore the Mina thanks so much for watching guys if you enjoy this video please like And subscribe it motivates me to continue creating more videos like this and if you have any tips for wine tasting in Sicily leave a comment below so all the Travelers traveling to Sicily can read your comments and find new places to check out in Sicily till next time

Where to stay in Catania, Sicily, and visit 9 vineyards on the slope of Mt. Etna, including the White Lotus Winery. In this video, we’ll share the best wine tasting in Sicily. Ranging from cheap wine tasting in Sicily experiences to world-renowned and famous vineyards to visit. We’ll also share Vineyards in Sicily with accommodations if you want to plan an overnight stay! I also added a Sicily winery map that is easy to follow if you rent a car while exploring the Island. We found the best wineries in Sicily and had an amazing time wine-tasting in Sicily on the slopes of Mt. Etna.

START PLANNING YOUR SICILIAN ADVENTURE
Check Flights to Sicily:
https://expedia.tp.st/RlipBPjK
Or Take the Ferry from Naples to Palermo.

Rent a Car to Explore Sicily:
https://www.discovercars.com/italy-sicily/catania-sicily/catania-la-rena?a_aid=wheretonau
Travel Via Bus:

Alibus

Private Transfer by car from Catania Airport to Catania City Center:
https://getyourguide.tp.st/FyPFV67r

FAVORITE GUIDED TOURS IN SICILY
Catania: Mount Etna Trekking Trip off the Tourist Path:
https://getyourguide.tp.st/uL4G9A5h
Catania: Mount Etna Morning or Sunset Day Trip w/ Tasting:
https://getyourguide.tp.st/tspW3mBy
Catania: Street Food Guided Walking Tour:
https://getyourguide.tp.st/BUQtxj3Y
Catania / Taormina: The Godfather Filming Locations Tour:
https://getyourguide.tp.st/Cg7wg48J
Noto, Modica, and Ragusa: The Baroque Tour from Catania:
https://getyourguide.tp.st/gRZkVjt7
Private Visit to the Cellars of Etna w/ Wine Tasting:
https://viator.tp.st/f75J5n3d

WHERE TO STAY IN CATANIA
Hotel Villa Romeo
https://agoda.tp.st/BJnDUKhD

WHITE LOTUS HOTEL TAORMINA | San Domenica Palace | Luxury
https://booking.tp.st/UzUttHGw

PLACES MENTIONED IN THIS VLOG
Day 1 Catania
– Piazza del Duomo
– Church of St. Francis of Assisi
– Elephant Fountain
– Scirocco Sicilian Fish Lab (Best fish cones in Catania)
– Vuciata (Best Lunch Restaurant in Catania)
– Piazza Universitá
– Via Santa Filomena
– Olivia .Co Cocktail Society ( Nightlife Bars in Catania)
– Boheme Mixology Bar (Nightlife Bars in Catania)
– Circus Cocktail Bar (Nightlife Bars in Catania)
– Arancineria Espresso Serafino (Best Arancinis in Catania)

Day 2 Wine Tasting on the Slopes of Mt. Etna
– Etna Urban Winery
– Gambino Vini
– Etna Viviera Winery
– Scilio Tenuta di Valle Galfina
– Emilio Sciacca Etna Wine
– Planeta Sciaranuova
– Terrazze dell’ Etna
-Tenuta delle Terre Nere Winery
– Cantina Etnella

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Hotel Stays:
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Guided Tours:
https://getyourguide.tp.st/6OPemRve
Train Travel in Europe:
https://trainline.tp.st/84BIBl6D

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