Travelling with Sicilian Wine

By Sicily Holidays in : Sicily Blog // Dec 10 2010

Unlike most of the eighteenth century travelers who visited Sicily during their Grand Tour, Wolfgang Goethe did not remain exclusively in larger cities and even deliberately overlooked some steps that seem fundamental to our eyes, preferring to follow his own interests. So, he crossed the whole of central Sicily dwelling on geology and especially agriculture in areas that, in the 18th century, had to be virtually unknown to any foreigner. His diary is a valuable source to know how Sicilian hinterland looked like more than two centuries ago : a densely cultivated land but few inhabitants,with a few small towns that still, in spite of poverty, retained a pale semblance of old stories and powers. In Caltanissetta, for example, he met a group of dignitaries who gathered in the square, and were  happy to share their views about Frederick || with him, not knowing that the Prussian king was dead. Caltanissetta  today is very different from the town that Goethe visited in 1787, although it is still a small town nestled in the hills of the interior. There are modern roads to get there, and the wretched hovel where Goethe had to adapt himself in order to spend the night,has been replaced by comfortable hotels.But one thing has remained the same: the fertility of the soil. Fields, orchards,olive groves and vineyards cover the whole area and, along with the many signs of the past, they lead our steps to the discovery of this ” other Sicily”. The common thread that we have chosen is  that of wine, a product of excellent that has inspired the birth of the ”  Strada del Vino e dei Sapori dei Castelli Nisseni ” ( Trail of wine and flavors of the nisseni castles). It is an association of wine producers and tourism operators who together have created a series of routes in order to bring traveller s in the heart of Sicilian history , gastronomy and beauty.

In a small area, between Riesi, Butera and Mazzarino, there are DOC and IGT wines of excellent quality, as well as important signs of many different eras of Sicilian history.. Inhabited by Siculi and Sicani, who have left precious tracks, this territory also hosted Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Aragonese, Castilians, Austrians and the  Bourbons, and all left many traces of their passage. Some of them built constructions lasting beyond the passage of time, others made this land the scene of clashes between civilizations, in defense of cultural values that each of them intended to protect.That’s why you can follow itineraries that combine different interests and flavors, dwelling in the cellars to taste the wines (a full list of the companies participating in the road is on the site www.stradadelvinodeicastellinisseni.com).

As for the monuments and evidence of the past , it’s really hard to make a selection of places to mention, especially because it depends on everyone’s taste whether you prefer castles to archaeological sites, aristocratic palaces to churches and so on. In this area you find all this and more. In a place like Mazzarino, for example, you find the impressive ruins of a castle founded by the Arabs called ” u Cannuni” ( the cannon) because of the cylindrical shape of one of its massive towers- and a number of churches, among which the beautiful Main Church. In Caltanissetta you can satisfy your fancy among the palaces of the aristocracy, the great cathedral frescoed by Borremans, the Norman abbey of Santo Spirito. Along the coast  you can easily find peasant beaches of fine sand and clear water, while in Gela there is a museum and archaeological site of great value, evidence of what was once one of the most important Greek colonies in our island.

As for the food, we’ll only report the cuddureddra of Delia, delicious typical cookies that are a Slow Food presidium; Villalba lentils, with large seeds, of which local farmers are trying to revive the production after decades of neglect; cheese and olive oil, always delicious and tasty ( text: Marta Paolini )

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