6 Sicilian Wine Stays Worth Getting off the Coast For
Sicily’s beaches may get the attention, but these six inland stays offer a slower, quieter, and more delicious way to experience the island.
Sicilian tourism is on the rise, growing by 30 percent in volume over the decade between 2015 and 2024 — aided and abetted, surely, by The White Lotus’s second season in 2022 — but skewed heavily toward coastal visits. Despite the undeniable draw of Sicily’s most salient feature, though, the majority of travelers to Sicily are kind of missing out. I say this even as someone who has spent a day on a private boat cruising along the coast, occasionally jumping into the sea, then being greeted back on board with platters of fried panelle and cannoli.
Sicilian beaches are stunning, but Sicily’s inland landscapes are among its most staggering: agricultural mosaics overlaid on the kind of rolling, often volcanic geology that begs you to stop trying to get a picture that accurately captures any of it, because you can’t. Plus, while many Sicilian wine regions can claim coastal influence, the vineyards themselves are hardly rubbing elbows with the sunbathers.
Travelers may be sipping Sicilian Frappato and Carricante on coastal properties and in port cities, which is altogether good news for the Sicilian wine industry, but getting up close with the vineyards is a much slower and less crowded way to experience the full spectrum of the island’s delights. Sicilian winery stays are not as prevalent as they are in regions such as Tuscany or Piedmont, but here are six Sicilian properties where you can sleep among the vineyards, which, must be said, are still never more than an hour or so from a beach.
Tenuta Regaleali
Tenuta Regaleali is located about 60 miles southeast of Palermo, tucked into the hillsides of Sicily’s rolling Contrada Regaleali district. The boutique agriturismo, owned and operated by Tasca d’Almerita, is an example of a 17th century baglio — a Sicilian fortified farmhouse property whose main feature is a central courtyard. (The view from the courtyard through the baglio entrance to the hillsides beyond is about as perfect a postcard image of Sicily as you’ll find.) You can sleep among the vineyards in many of the property’s rooms whose windows or balconies overlook the fields of the working estate. Visitors can add on experiences such as jeep tours of the estate and vineyard, a cellar tour and tasting, plus lunch or dinner options prepared from the estate’s gardens.
Baglio Occhipinti
Another Sicilian fortified farm option, Baglio Occhipinti is located in the Ragusana countryside of southeastern Sicily, immersed in the vineyards of Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Sicily’s only DOCG. The property dates back nearly 2,000 years, with the development of the current farmhouse in the 17th century. Conservatively restored to protect and honor the original architecture, the collection tank from the milled grape must of a former working winery is now the living room, and the baglio offers 12 stone-walled suites. An array of enrichment experiences is available such as cellar tours, cooking classes, horseback riding, ricotta cheese tasting, Italian lessons, and an opera dinner, among others. Superlatives such as “magical,” “gorgeous,” and “indulgent” feature heavily in reviews, balanced by those that reveal the very point of inland Sicilian stays: “peaceful,” “serene,” and “relaxing.”
Casa Panitteri
Literally one of a kind, as you will be the only person or people there during your stay. This unique Airbnb is an artist’s residence located inside the Panitteri Museum, in a deconsecrated church, in the historic center of Sambuca di Sicilia, a member of Italy’s Most Beautiful Villages. While the property isn’t exactly nestled among the vineyards as the others here, it is nonetheless managed by Planeta, one of Sicily’s most prominent wine brands, in proximity to Planeta’s Agrigento-based facility in nearby Ulmo. Among the experiences offered at Ulmo are Repertoire 1694: A Journey Through Old Vintages — a tasting tailored specifically to experts, collectors, and extreme enthusiasts — and even a cooking class in the cellar.
Case Sparse
Among Planeta’s other hospitality projects, these “sparse” or “scattered” houses are located in Noto, near Sicily’s southeastern coast but not on it, in a vineyard and almond grove setting that still offers a view of the cerulean water in the distance. On Planeta’s Cantina Buonivini property, sustainable design rules, with repurposed materials curated by designer Costanza Algranti for a rustic, peaceful feel. Among the case sparse is a restored palmento, a winemaking structure used for treading grapes and storing must, now also repurposed for guided tastings in an appropriately evocative atmosphere.
Monaci Delle Terre Nere
Resort living situated between Catania and Taormina near Sicily’s eastern coast, Monaci Delle Terre Nere is a collection of suites and villas embedded in the rural landscape located on the slopes of Mount Etna. (The property name, “monks of the black earth,” is a nod to the region’s famed volcanic soil.) Vineyard views are still on offer, along with swimming pools (several of them private), and Michelin-starred dining at the property’s Locanda Nerello. The estate produces a line of organic wines under the Guido Coffa label and offers selections from other iconic producers for its “Tasting the Volcano” flight. You can also see the volcano up close on an actual helicopter flight offered by the property.
La Dimora del Principe
If all of the above hasn’t sufficiently felt like the royal treatment, La Dimora del Principe — The House of the Prince — is located on the Feudo Principi di Butera estate, a former fiefdom in the heart of Nero d’Avola country. The property is only 10 kilometers from the sea, but the panoramic, breathtaking vistas are of the rolling hills of Agrigento. The exclusive stay can only be booked by emailing the property, apropos for its royal history, but visitors can also book themselves for tastings, breadmaking, and picnics on the property.