After a lunch with the Apicella family above the Amalfi Coast, our ship docked in Messina for a day that turned into another wine-and-food highlight of the trip.

Up the Mountain to Terrazze dell’Etna

We docked in Messina and were picked up right away for a 1.5-hour drive directly to Terrazze dell’Etna winery on Mount Etna.

A Tour with Fabio

Upon arrival, we met our guide, Fabio, who gave us a lengthy and genuinely interesting tour of the grounds — the history, the wines, the production, even the horses. The place was magical, with a breeze coming down the mountain and a silence you can’t quite explain.

A Wine Tasting Lunch Set Among the Vines

We sat down to a wine tasting and lunch set at a table out on the grounds, surrounded by the vines.

To start: bread, olive oil, housemade salami, provolone, and giardiniera.

Then pasta alla Norma with fresh estate-grown eggplant and tomatoes.

Then a salad of oranges and strawberries with grilled meat and homemade sausages from the black pigs next door.

One Grape, Four Wines

Simply lovely, and all paired with a cuvée brut, followed by a white, a rosé, and a red — every one of them made from the same grape, Nerello Mascalese. It was fascinating how the same grape could produce such different wines. We then toured their olive oil production, and Fabio sent us each home with a bottle.

Our Take

Really a wonderful day. We could retire here…