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tpmedia
Truly, one of the best travel experiences of a long and varied career. Incredible scenery! Exceptional food. A brilliant assortment of wines. The wine tour is just long enough to make sense and to pique your interest in the process. Corraddo will tailor the tour to your needs. A bit out of the way but so worth the time and effort. Wish I had booked a room to savor the sights. The food. The wines. The experience.
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adrianloader
The Regaleali vineyard is a couple of hours from Palermo (depending on route and traffic) into the heart of Sicily. The roads are generally pretty good though possibly rather narrow for drivers not accustomed to Italian byways. The countryside is beautiful - rolling hills and farmland a lot of the way - which makes an interesting contrast to the more dramatic and rugged coastline. (Mussolini had aspirations to make Sicily the bread basket of Italy as can be seen on this route.) The vineyard is an impressive operation - 350 hectares under vine at this site and the parent company has another four vineyards in Sicily with the vinification of all five being carried out at Regaleali. There are 55 varieties of grapes planted, the majority being used for experimental purposes, and 12 distinct types of soil. Only a third of the vineyard is irrigated because that is the maximum capacity from three ponds, the vendemmia or grape harvest is all done by hand over a period of three months and the whole operation aims to be sustainable. Tours can be arranged which may include both an introduction to the company and its history, a guided trip around the winery and a tutored tasting in what was originally the olive oil pressing room. The surroundings are gorgeous, the facilities very impressive and the people most friendly and informative. Our guide seemed to have time to answer any question in good humour even though we were held up and arrived very late in the day. Nourishment and also accommodation can be found at the (excellent) nearby Locanda Tanarizzi but you can also stay on the property. Without a doubt this is not only a great day out, assuming of course that you have an interest in wine and how it is made, but also a refreshing and uplifting break from the congestion and bustle in the rather down at heel Palermo.
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DRandFF
We stayed at the winery for one night and loved it. We thought it was a bit expensive initially but we wanted to splurge....however, for the service, the quality and the food it was great value. Luigi was a great host showing us many different and new wines and the food was fantastic....and plentiful. We requested and received a great tour of the local vege garden as well! Ideally a spot to stay if you like you food and wine and want to expand the education and totally get away from it in the secluded gardens, and courtyard.
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MartiZuc
This place is like going back 200 years to a time when life was relaxed and slower and you actually took the time to enjoy yourself, your friends, and your family. "Baglio" - which defines Regaleali - means manor in Italian, and it is truly reminiscent of the Sicilian version of the manors you read about in times past. We stayed here last October and was immediately impressed with the hospitality - Corrado greeted us with a warm hug and after giving us time to settle in, we were offered a drink and a full, multi-course dinner prepared by the baglio. Our "room" was huge - we had an apartment with two bedrooms, two baths, a living room, and a kitchen (that we never used because all meals were included in our stay) We enjoyed a full tour of the cantina with a wine tasting of five ones - one from each of Tasca d'Almertia's properties. My favorite part, besides that fact that Corrado was available to fulfill our ever travel desire from riding bikes through the estate to picnicking in the vines to playing soccer on the field just outside the baglio - was the food and the wines. The wines are world-renowned, so that was no surprise, but the food is AMAZING. We learned the family is not only committed to their wines but also preserving fresh Sicilian cuisine, and so dishes are typical, delicious, and express the land from which they came. There is also the Anna Tasca Lanza cooking school on property, which is specifically dedicated to this mission of Tasca's. We took one of the classes after touring the two gardens, and were impressed by the knowledge that was shared in addition to the cuisine. The ATL school is so much more than just a school, it is a place of research as well.
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Miamiboys
In the rolling hills of Sicily near the village of Vallelungo you'll find Regaleali. Owned and operated by the same family for hundreds of years any visitor is in store for a treat. The best plan is to book a room for a couple of days and then sit back and enjoy. You'll be welcomed by either Corado or Luigi who will greet you as long lost family. The lodging is housed in the families main house and oozes charm and antiquity. The rates including almost unlimited wine tasting and 3 plus meals per day. Lunch and dinner with your fellow lodgers and the winery team is not to be missed. The food is absolutely fabulous and most ingredients come from the family farm. A highlight is the sheeps milk ricotta made fresh regularly on sight. About a 1.5 hour drive from Palermo and couldn't be a better experience for those wishing to get away (in a luxurious way).
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JonHenwood
This is a must do event. The tour of the wine estate includes a run around the entire winery production and an excellent professional insight into the various processes to produce the high end wines and spumanti. The winery is genuine and run by generations of locals with a love for the land. The tour can be followed by a four course typically Sicilian meal with a wine for every course and an explanation of the linkage between the chosen wine and food. Control yourself as by the end of it you wont be able to walk, but make sure to ask for the world class Cannoli di Maria.The town of Vllelunga may be a tad difficuclt to find, but once you do, the estate it is well signposted.
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danielaL707
Se siete curiosi di conoscere un pezzo di quella Sicilia che ci ha reso dono di uno dei vini più famosi e venduti nel mondo, dovete andare a vedere la magnifica Tenuta "Regaleali" del Conte Tasca d'Almerita. Il viaggio è un po' lungo e tortuoso (e la strada è spesso dissestata e piena di buche) ma ne vale sicuramente la pena! Rimarrete incantati dalla magica arte vinicola così ben raccontata e spiegata dal signor Corrado, che vi farà entrare a poco a poco in quella affascinante realtà che sembra miracolosamente lontana dalle contaminazioni della vita cittadina. Il tutto chiaramente accompagnato dalla degustazione degli ottimi prodotti locali e dall'eccellente varietà dei vini prodotti dalla casa "Regaleali".
