Journals from Abroad

Today’s post was written by Senior Daisy Tapia-Gonzalez, a Management major minoring in Wine Studies.

We started off the day with a visit to Tenuta Rapitalà, a winery located in Eastern Sicily and (to our surprise) run by a Count named Laurent Bernard de la Getanais! We learned that the qualities of the area, the landscape, the weather conditions, and other natural elements are significant in producing high- quality wines. We also learned the appreciation and importance of increasing organic farming techniques at both the vineyard and the cellar.

We began our visit with a tour of the vineyard and learning a few viticulture facts shared by Professor Antonino Pisciotta from the University of Palermo Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Food Science. The winery had approximately 544 acres of land, of which 396 was dedicated for grape growing and the rest for olive trees and uncultivated land. We learned that thevineyards were characterized by having two prominent types of soils: clay and sand. These soils help both red and white varietals thrive in Mediterranean climate conditions and in the uniquelandscape where the vineyards are located. As we were walking, Professor Pisciotta also explained the double cordon as a vine training system and the use of manual and machine labor for harvest.

After we visited the vineyard, we moved to the cellar to learn more about the winemaking process at Tenuta Rapitalà. Prof. Professor Antonino Pisciotta explained that the winery not only uses grapes collected from the vineyard (60% red and 40% white), but also buys grapes from other local vineyards. The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks where the must (grape skins)is left for 46 hours. After, the wine is either stored in those tanks or aged in French oak barrels.

The process of making wine requires hard-work, effort, and analysis. We visited the wine lab located inside the cellar, where we observed technicians’ examples of their experiments and blending samples. This part was emphasized as essential in order to explore the different needs ofthe consumers and choose the kind of wine to create.

After the tour of the different facilities of Tenuta Rapitalà, we were welcomed to the tasting room by Count Laurent, to taste some wines! We tasted eight wines, all with their unique smell and taste characteristics. As we were tasting, Count Laurent guided us with a few historical facts and tasting notes, making the experience pleasant and complete. He even surprised us all by gifting everyone a bottle of red wine. What an experience!

Chloe McDaniel, a senior majoring in Exercise Science wrote today’s post.

Because we had arrived at our new hotel in San Guiseppe Jato late last night, it was too dark to see much of it. This morning, we all emerged from our rooms and were delighted to see a gorgeous view of green hills blanketed by the glowing orange sun. After being awoken by the blindingly beautiful view, we made our way into the dining room for warm croissants and cappuccinos for breakfast. On the agenda today, was a day trip to the nearby city of Palermo. We were all excited, as it was our last day to visit a big city and just be tourists for the day.

The bus ride to Palermo was about 40 minutes. For tonight, we had planned to do a big group antipasti dinner in true Italian style. Each person volunteered to contribute something. For this to happen, our first priority in Palermo was to go to a market.

We went to Mercato di Ballaro, one of the two famous markets in the city. “Ballaro” was likely named after the city “Ballhara,”where Arab merchants lived when they occupied Sicily. The merchants would go to what is now called Palermo to sell their goods, similar to what Mercato di Ballaro is known for today. It was overwhelmingly loud, with stand owners shouting bargains at you. It was lively, crowded, and especially colorful. Fruits and vegetables were the star of the show, but there was also bread, clothing, flowers, street food, and more. After a stroll through the market and purchasing things for dinner, we split up into smaller groups to explore the city of Palermo.

My group and I walked just under a mile to a street with lots of cute shops and cafes. Many of us purchased some souvenirs, clothing, and jewelry to take home. The city was gorgeous, with colorful buildings and cobblestone streets. It seemed that each new street we walked had a different feel than the previous. We sat down for lunch and, before we knew it, it was time to head back to the bus. I was sad to leave Palermo, as it seemed there was so much of the city I didn’t get to see.

After returning to the hotel, we all met up again for our group dinner with foods we gathered from the market. We feasted on bread, crackers, an assortment of meats and cheeses, olives, fruit salad, and sauteed vegetables. The market food did not disappoint. We all enjoyed trying the array of yummy foods, and then finished with a small pastry. I can’t believe our trip is nearing the end!

Hello everyone!

My name is Giselle, I am  a sophomore majoring in psychology and minoring in communications and neuroscience, and I am in Sicily.

I am currently abroad on a wine studies Jan Term program about volcanic vineyards, and I am here to talk to y’all about what we did today (being January 17th, 2021).

Real quick though, I wanted to address the following:  for those who are thinking about doing a jan term or studying abroad but feel like you don’t have the pre-reqs or the “right major”, what it takes is passion!  I care about wine, I love Italy, and I love traveling.  While on paper it may seem like my major does not fit the syllabus, but let me tell you, it doesn’t matter if you are invested in the subject.  So, if the person reading this has heard about a program that sounds interesting, and you care, and let’s say you have no experiences with the affiliated classes (like me), let me be the first to say, do not let that stop you from applying. I have never taken a wine class but this has been the best adventure and I am enjoying learning everything I have been given the opportunity to experience, and I am an aspiring personality neuroscientist loving learning about volcanoes and grape varieties.

So, onto the point of this blog post. We are in Italy (Sicily specifically) and today was our day to be immersed in Sicilan culture by first hand walking the Catanian fish market. A little background information:

This fish market is located in the Alonzo Piazza by the Ameanno Fountain built in the 1800s. This historical fountain was dedicated to the Ameano river that once flowed beneath the city before the Etna explosion of 1669. and happens every Monday-Saturday from morning to afternoon. While it is called the fish market, seafood galore is not only what is being sold. Cheese cashiers, spice sellers, and vegetable vendors alike line the streets to sell their wares. Let me just tell you, you have never seen such fresh food. The fruits and such had been picked that day, and were every color of the rainbow. And most of the seafood was so fresh, it was still alive. 

Wandering around the streets of Catania and stocking up on the best food I have had the privilege to buy, was awesome. We also had a sense of the culture of the fish market. You could tell who sold the best foods, and for the best prices by the size of their lines. The more people, the better the food. Everybody there was also the nicest people I have met. All they wanted to do was talk and feed you, not a bad situation if you ask me. I especially loved it because I am Sicilian and it felt like I was finally experiencing first hand what my mother would always describe her grandmother’s house to be like:  full of life, good food, and good people.

So overall, this little day trip held more genuine cultural experience in three hours than most full day guided tours or sightseeing bus rides. So, 10/10, I would recommend, and for me, all it took was taking the chance to apply. Me, a psych major in a wine studies course!

Sincerely,
Giselle G