millergj Posted October 22, 2011 #1 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I am looking for a private wine shore excursion for next year. Has anyone gone on a private tour visiting wineries from the port of Messina? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wantocruisemore Posted October 22, 2011 #2 Share Posted October 22, 2011 My DD, BIL & my 2 nieces took a tour to Mt. Etna with Etna Experience. Part of this was a tour, lunch and wine at the Gambino winery at the bottom. The wine they brought back was really good. I know other wineries do tours and such too. You can arrange them as part of a private excursion or maybe directly by just googling Mt. Etna wineries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gumdentist Posted November 7, 2011 #3 Share Posted November 7, 2011 We were in Messina in early October 2011. I arranged a private tour with this company: http://www.sunnysicily.com It was €270 for 3 of us for an all day tour with an English speaking driver and a brand-spanking new Mercedes air conditioned van. Very nice. Did not expect that. Our guide had our name on a placard just outside the port gate. If returning to Sicily, I would have no problem using them again. Ahead of time I emailed that I wanted to see Mt. Etna and visit Taormina. They also wanted to take us to a garden, but I preferred a winery, so they arranged that instead. We also went to Gambino's. Just so you know, it is lunch too and will cost about €15/person. A big lunch was more, so we went with the "bambino" size lunch and it was antipasti style, very good, and more than enough for us to eat. Lunch includes tasting 6 wines. I was impressed. I was fully expecting the price to be about €18-20. When I found the price was €8 for the white wines & €9 for the red wines, I bought 6 bottles. I asked for a shipping box the the airplane and they packed it up in a good shipping box and taped it up ready for the plane at no added cost. Even with $50 in baggage fees for the box, it was a good value. It arrived on the baggage carousel in perfect condition. BTW--Gambino wines are not available in the USA currently. http://www.vinigambino.it/e_index.html There are numerous wineries in the area. Gambino's caters to the day tourist with the tour guides. That sometimes would be a negative, but in this case not at all. If you visit Gambino's, do so around lunch time. Be sure to spend at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours at Taormina if you have never visited there. Just email and have the tour guide arrange for the tour you want. **Since many Europeans smoke like chimneys, be sure to specify with any tour or driver you book anywhere, that you want no smoking, period. Our Sicily driver/guide (Paolo Gallo) did not, and I highly recommend him as being very professional. He is one of the tour company owners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millergj Posted November 7, 2011 Author #4 Share Posted November 7, 2011 We were in Messina in early October 2011. I arranged a private tour with this company: http://www.sunnysicily.com It was €270 for 3 of us for an all day tour with an English speaking driver and a brand-spanking new Mercedes air conditioned van. Very nice. Did not expect that. Our guide had our name on a placard just outside the port gate. If returning to Sicily, I would have no problem using them again. Ahead of time I emailed that I wanted to see Mt. Etna and visit Taormina. They also wanted to take us to a garden, but I preferred a winery, so they arranged that instead. We also went to Gambino's. Just so you know, it is lunch too and will cost about €15/person. A big lunch was more, so we went with the "bambino" size lunch and it was antipasti style, very good, and more than enough for us to eat. Lunch includes tasting 6 wines. I was impressed. I was fully expecting the price to be about €18-20. When I found the price was €8 for the white wines & €9 for the red wines, I bought 6 bottles. I asked for a shipping box the the airplane and they packed it up in a good shipping box and taped it up ready for the plane at no added cost. Even with $50 in baggage fees for the box, it was a good value. It arrived on the baggage carousel in perfect condition. BTW--Gambino wines are not available in the USA currently. http://www.vinigambino.it/e_index.html There are numerous wineries in the area. Gambino's caters to the day tourist with the tour guides. That sometimes would be a negative, but in this case not at all. If you visit Gambino's, do so around lunch time. Be sure to spend at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours at Taormina if you have never visited there. Just email and have the tour guide arrange for the tour you want. **Since many Europeans smoke like chimneys, be sure to specify with any tour or driver you book anywhere, that you want no smoking, period. Our Sicily driver/guide (Paolo Gallo) did not, and I highly recommend him as being very professional. He is one of the tour company owners. Thanks for the great information. I will check in to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hylasgirl Posted November 7, 2011 #5 Share Posted November 7, 2011 We were in Messina in early October 2011. I arranged a private tour with this company: http://www.sunnysicily.com It was €270 for 3 of us for an all day tour with an English speaking driver and a brand-spanking new Mercedes air conditioned van. Very nice. Did not expect that. Our guide had our name on a placard just outside the port gate. If returning to Sicily, I would have no problem using them again. Ahead of time I emailed that I wanted to see Mt. Etna and visit Taormina. They also wanted to take us to a garden, but I preferred a winery, so they arranged that instead. We also went to Gambino's. Just so you know, it is lunch too and will cost about €15/person. A big lunch was more, so we went with the "bambino" size lunch and it was antipasti style, very good, and more than enough for us to eat. Lunch includes tasting 6 wines. I was impressed. I was fully expecting the price to be about €18-20. When I found the price was €8 for the white wines & €9 for the red wines, I bought 6 bottles. I asked for a shipping box the the airplane and they packed it up in a good shipping box and taped it up ready for the plane at no added cost. Even with $50 in baggage fees for the box, it was a good value. It arrived on the baggage carousel in perfect condition. BTW--Gambino wines are not available in the USA currently. http://www.vinigambino.it/e_index.html There are numerous wineries in the area. Gambino's caters to the day tourist with the tour guides. That sometimes would be a negative, but in this case not at all. If you visit Gambino's, do so around lunch time. Be sure to spend at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours at Taormina if you have never visited there. Just email and have the tour guide arrange for the tour you want. **Since many Europeans smoke like chimneys, be sure to specify with any tour or driver you book anywhere, that you want no smoking, period. Our Sicily driver/guide (Paolo Gallo) did not, and I highly recommend him as being very professional. He is one of the tour company owners. Sounds LOVELY! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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