Leichtes Mittagessen & Weinprobe "Zwischen Olivenbaum und Rebe" bei Camilleri

1/1/26

Yesterday, my best friend, partner in crime, and love of my life celebrated the last birthday in his 60s. Federico and Guiseppe made it a special day. We have had quite an amount of wine tastings in our lives, in South Africa, the Azores, Germany,....... But this one was very special: a bottle of white wine who came out of a water well , some toasts with olive oil and oregano we found in a ceramic can all over sudden under the olive trees, a "light lunch" which actually ended up to be loads of small typical Sicilian specialities...... tasting 6 different wines out of bottles and the last one from a wooden barrel.
A walk around the vinyard and through the wine cellars, anecdotes, and meeting the whole family made our afternoon perfect. We learned a lot about winemaking in general, winemaking in this specific region, and about winemaking and producing olive oil with the tradition of Federicos and Guiseppes family.
We bought some bottles of wine but fortunately forgot to buy the amazing olive oil.....so we have to go back.....
There are several arrangements, you can book, but I would advise to choose the biggest one. It's absolutly worth the money.: 4 hours of proofing Sicilian food and the really wonderful wines of this vinyard.

And don't forget, like we did, to buy the olive oil........
Sylke

6/1/25

Tenute Camilleri are located just under 30 minutes from the B&B where we were staying off the SS115. We arrived slightly early and were immediately welcomed Mr Camilleri and his son in law. They proceeded to give us an overview the history of the winery over the past 50 years and what they produced. Next we made a tasting session of some wonderful olive oils. Our winery guide arrived and took us around the place. She spoke both Italian and English so we felt comfortable. As we went around the place, we had frequent stops with little "surprises" that included wine tasting complimented with fresh local food and snacks. We then ended up under the shelter of an olive tree where we continued tasting wines and snacking. Incredibly we ended up quite full and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I love Sicilian wines and try and visit a winery whenever in sicily. I suggest that you do this visit any time of the year but avoiding the peak of summer (late July to August) as it can be quite hot. After finishing, we were offered to buy wine which we did and it is not expensive at all. Good to see the work that goes into agriculture and the making of wines. It's a very tough job and not appreciated enough. Getting there and returning was easy, just drive slowly in the country roads. Lovely place, lovely people, excellent guide and splendid wine. Cannot stop recommending it! 5 star.
Maybe in the future the Camilleris might consider using a motorised means of taking people around the winery and fields. I enjoy walking and loved it, but some others might not be so mobile.
John