Understanding the Mediterranean diet principles in a food and wine tour of the south of Italy

The Sicily island is the biggest island in the Mediterranean sea, it's at the south of Italy and the north of Africa. Food and wine are among Sicily's main attractions. Here you can find a mix of different cultures (Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans). These ancient dominations let us their rests in the culinary traditions. Climatic conditions, sun every day and the Volcanic land, facilitate the food's favour and produce unique of a kind Mediterranean products.

What to get in this Wine tour...
* Unique landscapes and views
* Living history around you
* Wine tasting and cooking courses
* All the benefits of the Mediterranean diet

One of the most important aspect of Mediterranean diet is the quality of the ingredients used. The result is that ingredients are fresh, often produced in land, tasty and fragrant.

Here the most known Mediterranean foods and wines you'll taste during your Sicilian journey...

*Seafood
Seafood is well known for its particular heart benefits, Grilled swordfish, Cuttlefish, sardines are popular ingredients of the Sicilian diet always prepared with pasta. Try seafood with whites wines as "Catarratto Bianco, Inzolia, Grillo, and Damaschino".

* Meat
Chicken, Veal, Lamb, Pork are popular meat dishes usually served with marsala wine.

* Wines
There are more than 150.000 hectares of land cultivates to wineyards, in particular, on the slopes of the Etna mountain.
Lot of studies explain how the Sicilian red wine consumption is associated with a lower cardiovascular risk. Has been confirmed that parameters like blood glucose, total cholesterol and triglycerides, was significantly decreased after the consumption of Sicilian red wines (Nero D'Avola and Torrepalino wines).

What to discover in this food and wine itinerary...

The tour is along the most known wine territory of Sicily, The Etna volcano and the city of Catania in the Ionic coast of Sicily. With this itinerary you can join the views of many medieval villages located on the slopes of the mount etna, and taste the favour of vineyards and fruit-trees. You can combine the tasting of great Mediterranean diet products while you are travelling across the century's of millenarian history and culture.

The itinerary explained...
The itinerary starts in the South of Mount Etna, from the little villages of Belpasso and Nicolosi. Continues in the sea villages in the Ionic coast to Taormina and finishes in the northern side of the Etna in the natural park of the Alcantara river.

Some Tips to get better experience...

* If sweets taste a little different from the ones you've had outside Italy, that's because the ricotta cheese is made with sheep's milk.
* The best wines to choose are Marsala ,Moscato, Passito di Pantelleria, Malvasia delle Lipari and Zibibbo
* The wines have a maximum cost of about $20. A lot of wines from the Tuscany or Piedmont regions of Italy cost $40 or much.
* Drink wine with food (Especially with olive oil or bread)
* If you read the label "Denomination of origin" (DOC) on the bottles, It is a meaningless designation related to quality of wine. It is used to certify the origin of the bottle you have on hand.

Article Source: http://www.travelarticles.org

Enrico Forte is the editor of the website Volcano Etna, the tourist board of Sicily with tons of special offers taormina sicily hotels and useful tourist information about the south of Italy travels and the little islands of the Mediterranean.