Marsala winery and saltpans

At the time of the British naval enterprise in the waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea when, under Admiral Nelson’s leadership, the English were assisting the Bourbon Dynasty in ousting the troops of Napoleon Bonaparte from Southern Italy.... ..Mr. John Woodhouse happened upon the western shores of Sicily when his merchant ship was suddenly in need of repair. During his forced sojourn in Marsala, he tried some of the local wine produced there and found it incredibly similar to Port and Madeira. This is when he came up with the idea of selling it in London: he had a number of oak-wood barrels put on his newly repaired ship filled with Marsala, which had been fortified with alcohol for the long crossing by sea. Upon arrival in England, the wine was even better than before, and Mr. Woodhouse came back to Sicily to establish the first Marsala winery on the island. Other entrepreneurs followed suit: the Whitakers, the Inghams, the Florios, the Pellegrinos, and many more. We will visit one of these historical landmarks in the city of Marsala: Pellegrino Winery, founded by Mr. Carlo Pellegrino in 1880. Then you will get a chance to try various types of Marsala. Just remember: Marsala was not created to become a cooking wine, but as a meditation wine to be slipped slowly and enjoyed thoroughly…

Afterwards we will go into the old part of town for a visit and some free time. On your way back, you will stop by the seaside to see some of the old salt pans, most of which are still used today for producing sea-salt. Dotted by colorful windmills, this is certainly one of the most spectacular coastlines in Sicily.