The Shared Table
by Purple Truffle
Sicily | 8 - 11 October 2026
Our Itinerary
Benvenuti in Sicilia!
Welcome to a long weekend exploring the food, wine, landscapes, artisans and traditions of southeastern Sicily, slightly off the eaten path.
The Shared Table is about experiencing a place through those who shape it. We’ll visit their vineyards, cellars, kitchens and workshops, hear their stories, learn from them, share their passion, and, of course, eat and drink exceptionally well along the way.
Thursday 8 October
ARRIVAL | VALLE DELL’ACATE | WELCOME TO BAGLIO
Morning | Arrive at Baglio Occhipinti
Arrive at Baglio Occhipinti, our home for the weekend in the countryside outside Vittoria.
This beautifully restored historic farmhouse sits among vineyards, olive trees, citrus and gardens in the heart of the Cerasuolo di Vittoria wine country.
There will be time to settle into rooms and explore before heading out for our first experience together.
Lunch, Visit & Tasting | Valle dell’Acate
Our introduction to southeastern Sicily begins at Valle dell’Acate, one of the historic wine estates of the Vittoria region.
The Jacono family has been cultivating vines here for generations, making this a wonderful place to begin understanding the landscape, soils and indigenous grapes we’ll encounter throughout the weekend.
We’ll have lunch at the estate followed by a private visit and tasting exploring Frappato, Nero d’Avola and Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Sicily’s only DOCG wine.
It is our first glimpse into how deeply food, wine, family and agriculture remain intertwined in this corner of Sicily.
Late Afternoon | Return to Baglio
Time to settle in properly.
Explore the gardens, rest, have a massage or simply find a quiet corner with a book.
Evening | Welcome Aperitivo & Dinner
Our first evening together will begin with an aperitivo at Baglio Occhipinti, followed by a relaxed dinner inspired by the estate’s gardens and the seasonal produce of southeastern Sicily. We will toast to the food, wine, people and adventures that await over the next few days.
Friday 9 October
MARKET | LUNCH | ARIANNA OCCHIPINTI WINE
Breakfast before heading out into the surrounding towns and countryside.
For those who would like to join, Skylar, a professional yoga instructor, will be leading a morning yoga session, surrounded by the quiet of the Sicilian countryside.
Morning | Local Market in Comiso
We’ll begin the day at the local market in Comiso, a small Baroque town just 15 minutes from Baglio Occhipinti. Its historic center unfolds around Piazza Fonte Diana, with elegant palazzi, cafés and narrow streets that remain part of everyday local life. We’ll spend the morning exploring its market alongside local residents for whatever looks particularly delicious and we will meet some of the people behind the produce before heading to lunch nearby. Some of what we find at the market will return to Baglio Occhipinti with us for Rachel’s fermentation session later in the day.
This isn’t a formal market tour. There will be time to taste, wander and follow whatever catches our eye.
From here, we’ll continue into the surrounding countryside, with a visit to a small local olive oil producer before lunch at one of our favorite spots nearby.
Afternoon | Arianna Occhipinti
After lunch, we will head to the wine estate of Arianna Occhipinti, one of the most distinctive, inspiring and influential voices in contemporary Sicilian wine.
Arianna founded her estate here in her early twenties, working with the indigenous grapes of the Vittoria countryside, particularly Frappato and Nero d’Avola, and farming with a deep respect for the land, its soils and its traditions.
Our private visit will be followed by a tasting and aperitivo, with Arianna planning on joining us. It will be a rare opportunity to hear first-hand about her relationship with this part of Sicily, its soils, its grapes and the farming traditions that continue to shape her wines.
Late Afternoon | Return to Baglio
A couple of hours completely free.
Massage, garden, pool if the weather permits, nap, read or simply do absolutely nothing.
Aperitivo + Dinner | Baglio Occhipinti
Saturday 10 October
CHEESE | RAGUSA IBLA | CERAMICS | EMBROIDERY | FERMENTATION
Morning | The Cheesemaker
Breakfast at Baglio then we head into the Hyblaean countryside toward Ragusa Ibla, one of southeastern Sicily’s great Baroque towns and part of the UNESCO-listed Val di Noto. Rising dramatically across a limestone hillside, Ragusa Ibla is a beautiful tangle of honey-coloured palazzi, steep lanes, hidden gardens and Baroque churches, largely rebuilt after the devastating earthquake of 1693. It is a place best discovered slowly, on foot, peaking into quiet courtyards and following tiny winding streets.
En route, we’ll stop at a small working farm to experience one of the great food traditions of the Ragusa countryside, Ragusano DOP cheese.
Late Morning | Ragusa Ibla
Continue to Ragusa.
Ragusa is particularly fascinating because the old town of Ibla was rebuilt along its medieval streets on the hillside while a new town, Ragusa Superiore, developed above it.
With our private guide, we’ll explore Ibla from an insider’s perspective, including the myriad steep lanes, hidden courtyards and stunning Baroque architecture.
But this won’t be a monument-by-monument history lesson. Our local guide will help us understand the people, families and traditions behind the beautiful façades.
Lunch | Ragusa Ibla
Settle in for lunch at one of our favorite tables in Ibla.
Afternoon | Inside Ragusa’s Artisan Studios
After lunch, we’ll step away from Ragusa’s Baroque and into the workshops of people continuing Sicily’s extraordinary craft traditions.
Depending on timing, we’ll visit one or two local artisans in their studios, discovering some of the techniques and traditions that continue to shape the creative life of this part of Sicily.
From traditional handwork to contemporary interpretations, these visits offer a glimpse behind the scenes, a chance to see these passionate artisans at work and hear the stories behind their creations.
We’ll also leave time to wander Ragusa Ibla together, browsing its small shops and ateliers and simply soaking up the ambiance of this fascinating place.
Early Evening | Fermentation Aperitivo with Rachel de Thample
Food writer and fermentation expert Rachel de Thample takes over our aperitivo.
Using produce gathered at the market, ingredients from Baglio Occhipinti’s gardens and ferments Rachel prepared ahead of our arrival and from vegetables she and I picked on our last visit here, we’ll explore simple techniques for fermenting and preserving seasonal produce.
We’ll chop, taste, make and experiment while learning what actually happens during fermentation and, importantly, how to incorporate fermented foods into everyday cooking.
Rather than a conventional workshop, the session gradually becomes an Italian-style fermentation aperitivo.
Ferments, local ingredients and Sicilian wine come together around the table.
Evening | The Final Shared Table
Back to Baglio for our final evening at the estate.
Aperitivo followed by a celebratory dinner around one long table, bringing together the food, wines and friendships of the weekend. A chance to revisit a few favorite flavors, open some special bottles and enjoy one last long evening together at Baglio Occhipinti.
Sunday 11 October
SIRACUSA | ORTIGIA | MARCHESI DI SAN GIULIANO |
Breakfast at Baglio Occhipinti
Our final breakfast at Baglio Occhipinti before checking out and saying arrivederci to our home for the weekend.
Morning | Piazza Santa Lucia
After breakfast we will head to Siracusa and Ortigia. Our first stop will be Piazza Santa Lucia in Siracusa, where Sunday morning brings together the local market and flea market.
We will meet my friend and fantastic local guide Lucia and enjoy a rummage among the stalls selling produce and food alongside vintage household pieces, textiles, ceramics, antiques and all sorts of unexpected finds.
Late Morning | Ortigia
Thereafter, we will continue into Ortigia with Lucia, the tiny island that forms the ancient heart of Siracusa.
With more than 2,500 years of history entwined in its streets, Ortigia layers its Greek past with Baroque palazzi, narrow lanes, chaotic food markets and the sea.
We’ll also have some time to wander independently, as this is not a structured sightseeing tour.
A Final Lunch in Ortigia | EVOÈ
Our last lunch together will be at EVOÈ, a tiny enoteca tucked along Via della Maestranza in the heart of Ortigia. With a superb selection of Sicilian wines and a kitchen rooted in local produce, cheeses, salumi and seasonal ingredients, this is the perfect spot for our final lunch together.
Aperitivo | Marchesi di San Giuliano
From Ortigia, we’ll travel to the extraordinary Marchesi di San Giuliano estate, about an hour north of Ortigia, in the direction of Catania. After four days of markets, wine, olive oil, fermentation, cheese, artisans and shared meals, our last table is somewhere completely different again.
This historic estate has belonged to the same family for more than 800 years. Today its organically farmed land includes extensive citrus groves, olives, avocados and mangoes, with the fruit transformed in the estate’s small kitchen into its celebrated marmalades, preserves, candied citrus and other products using old family recipes.
San Giuliano’s other great treasure is its garden.
Marquis Giuseppe di San Giuliano and his late wife Fiamma Ferragamo, the daughter of Salvatore Ferragamo, spent some 25 years creating it. Mediterranean planting mingles with palms, tropical plants, roses, aromatic herbs, enormous cacti and succulents, while the surrounding orange groves stretch towards Mount Etna.
We’ll have a private visit of the estate gardens, followed by a tasting of San Giuliano’s products.
Evening |Departure | Catania
Transfer to Catania Airport for our 20.45 flight back to London.
Brooke & Sonia continue into Catania for their overnight stay at Elle Dimora di Sicilia before flying home on Monday.
