Planeta is not just one winery, but many, located near five carefully chosen vineyard sites that represent an exhilarating journey through Sicily. That journey begins at Sambuca di Sicilia, the estate which the Planeta family has owned since the 1600s, where three enthusiastic young Sicilians – Alessio, Francesca and Santi Planeta – began their winemaking venture in the mid-1980s. The trio has spent subsequent years matching the extraordinarily diverse Sicilian soils with both indigenous and international grape varieties. The result? A family of critically-acclaimed wines that demonstrate how brilliance can be attained through thoughtful marriages between grape variety and terroir.
Visitors are welcomed at the following locations:
Sambuca di Sicilia
The Planeta family’s first winery, Ulmo, is situated on the banks of the Arancio Lake in Sambuca di Sicilia. This area’s deep chalky soil has proven ideal for the cultivation of Planeta’s great white wines – Chardonnay and Cometa (from the Fiano grape).
Menfi
Menfi, in the southeastern portion of Sicily, is the heart of Planeta and its operational base. Various types of soil are found here, but all are rich in lime and clay, ideal for the international red grape varieties which are transformed into wine at La Dispensa winery – Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The family’s newest winery, La Segreta, is also located in Menfi. The Planeta winemaking expertise has been lavished upon this premier winery in order to achieve wines of the very best quality, a Bianco and Rosso sold under the La Segreta label.
Buonvini
Planeta’s Buonvini vineyard is on the outskirts of the beautiful city of Noto, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its Baroque architecture. Noto is such a delightfully unspoiled location that the family decided to preserve it by building an ‘invisible winery’ which is completely underground. In 2009, the winemaker completed the renovations of six “case sparse,” small, once-abandoned rural cottages that are literally “scattered houses” amongst the vines and almond trees of the vineyard, offering visitors an exclusive and unique place to stay as they explore Sicily. The grapes grown at Buonvini, where the soil is rich in lime and tufa, produce Santa Cecilia (100% Nero d’Avola)
and Moscato di Noto. To find out more, click
here. |
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General Information at a Glance
- Appointment required
- Guided tours available
- Group tours available
- English-speaking staff
- Parking available
- Buses accommodated
- Retail shop on-site
Nearest
cities
Palermo – 1 hour, 20 minutes
Catania – 3 hours, 30 minutes
Agrigento – 1 hour, 45 minutes
Taormina – 4 hours
Menfi – 25 minutes
Driving directions
Visit http://www.planeta.it/ENG/visite.htm
for more information and driving directions.
La Foresteria: Planeta's Guest House for
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