For those of you who have travelled to Italy and fallen in love, Sicily is even more. For those who have tasted some of Italy’s finest produce, Sicily will always call for you.  For those who have been lost in history, architecture and tradition, Sicily will lift you up in its arms and carry you further. 

After the August 2011 release of her cook book “My Taste of Sicily” with Lantern Books, serious food and travel lovers are being invited to join leading Australian celebrity chef Dominique Rizzo on her latest personally guided tours of one of the world’s richest culinary regions, Sicily.

Ms Rizzo’s 2012 Pure Sicilian Food Wine Cooking Tours will showcase the gourmet spectrum of one of Italy’s forgotten, vibrant and enchanting regions, immersing her guests in Sicilian food, people, culture and history.

Ms Rizzo’s intimate knowledge of the region and its cuisine, developed through her Sicilian heritage and regular visits, leads to the development of two exciting itineraries that provide exclusive, access-all-areas insights only available to locals and those in the know.

“Sicily is a food-lovers’ paradise and I want to share the vibrant culture and rich culinary history of the region by taking guests on a unique journey of Sicilian gastronomy,” said Ms Rizzo.  “To do that, my tours provide a complete Sicilian experience including the history, art, architecture and landscape that have been instrumental in shaping the region’s cooking over generations.”

There are tours that open your eyes – as well as your mind, heart and soul – to experiencing what the world has to offer, and this tour of Eastern Sicily is one of them. The 15 night Eastern Sicily and the Aeolian Islands tour, from 26 August to 10 September 2012, includes tasting the true flavours of Sicily in hands-on cooking classes, including the age-old art of hand-rolled pasta making, sausage and salami making, cheese making, and a lesson in traditional dolce, all produced by artisans following family recipes kept alive with passion through the last century and before.

Dominique journeys to the rich lands surrounding the famous Mount Etna and towns of Acireale, Randazzo and Bronte.  Degustations of local wines are enjoyed at fall grape harvest wine festivals, along with samples of local regional products.  The tour discovers some of the most beautiful historical provinces of Syracusa, Ragusa, Catania, Messina and Agrigento including visits to the towns of chocolate-loving Modica, Noto, and the island of Ortigia.  Three days of relaxation in the "seven pearls of the Mediterranean” that are The Aeolian Islands draws the tour to a conclusion with spectacular views, hypnotic waters and enchanted sunsets. The tour is limited to 16 people with prices at $5949 per person twin share.

Highlights of the 13 night Western Sicily tour from 10 to 23 June 2012 include the archaeological site of Selinunte, Mazara del Vallo, Marsarla, Mozia, and the sea side town of Scaccia.  Sampling fine wines, dining in restaurants, and cantinas, cooking classes filled with traditional Sicilian fare using local seasonal produce collected that morning from the vibrant humming Sicilian markets, and wine and olive oil tastings.  Monuments such as la Cattedrale di Monreale, la Cappella Palatina, and the must see le Catacombe dei Cappuccini, in the provences of Trapani and Palermo are enjoyed, whilst also wandering through the medieval towns such as Erice, Cefalù, San Vito Lo Capo and driving through the Madonie Mountains, Castelbuono, and Santo Stefano di Camastra. 

Luxuriate in old world, charming hotels and an exquisite estate in the mountains with the alluring colours of nature setting the stage and the beautiful aromas of the mountain lavender, rosemary, and thyme with a final gala dinner in a palatial 19th century hotel . The tour is limited to 14 people with prices starting at $5830 per person twin share.