I wishes to express that my trip to Sicily, with Wines of Sicily (WOS) had many fun moments, but many disappointing aspects. While I enjoyed the many beautiful accommodations (with the exception of Palermo), and activities such as swimming, exploring villages and sites of interest. WOS failed to meet expectations in areas such as wine tastings, cultural education, and tour leadership. The so-called wine expert, Andie, was disengaged, unprofessional, and obviously focused on developing her personal contacts over guest experiences. Tessa and Allison were pleasant, but did not provide sufficient guidance, and there was a shocking lack of didactic discussions about historical or topographical sites of interest throughout the trip. Overall I felt the trip lacked depth, with minimal effort made to educate guests about Sicilian culture, history and wine. I am happy to provide a plethora of specific details to illustrate my conclusions. Christina: I also enjoyed the beautiful island of Sicily, the accommodations, and the small group of 19 guests. Allison, a college professor, was a highlight—she kept everyone informed and genuinely cared for our well-being. However, the trip lacked educational opportunities, particularly regarding Sicily’s culture and history. Despite having a great local guide in Noto, the overall experience missed the depth I was hoping for. The wine expert, Andy, was disengaged, often on her phone during tastings. She also mentioned attending a fabulous dinner in a nearby town with her friends while we were left isolated at a hotel, limited to hotel food. Andy's lack of communication, limited engagement, and lack of knowledge about Sicilian wines—known for their diversity, the quality of the grapes, and the unique terroir of the islands—was disappointing. We didn’t receive enough information on these important aspects, which was a missed opportunity. Her unprofessionalism further contributed to a negative impression. Tessa, the travel consultant, was lovely but offered little guidance on exploring the small towns. Overall, the trip lacked leadership and depth. Incorporating more education on Sicilian culture, guidance on local activities, and wine education would have greatly enhanced the experience. Additionally, more information about Sicilian history, the beautiful towns we visited and drove through, and dining options, along with less time spent in silence on the bus, would have made the trip more enjoyable. If these improvements were implemented, the trip would have been a fantastic blend of education, relaxation, and discovery.

What a wonderful trip and experience! We loved the accommodations, destinations selected, and size of the group. Everyone was very kind. The trip was well-organized and fun. There was sufficient time off for individual pursuits and down-time. I think our group all agreed that more local guide interaction/education would have been useful while in transport, particularly, as Sicily has such rich history. The wine guide (Andy) could have done more to education us about the wine scene in Sicily and she was not very available much of the time; she was on the phone with business including time when we were wine-tasting. I think clarification of roles would be a good idea and expect more from both Tessa and Andy if they are going along on the trip. There were a few times that dining on our own in a city would have been facilitated more by Tessa who later told us about going into town in a cab and having a great evening out. We were not aware that this was even an option and we would have loved to go out rather than dine at the hotel. These are minor suggestions to a fantastic trip. Thank you for everything!

10/10

Very enjoyable small group tour. Wine tasting experiences were very well curated. Food was great, and travel and accommodation were excellent.

The Wine Trip was better than I could have dreamed. Everything fell into place… the history on the winery visits was a big plus. So much history in the places where we stayed. Everything was taken care of, you did not have to worry about a thing. Great research on their part. 👍