Firriato Hospitality Cavanera Etnea Resort & Wine Experience

If you are looking for excellent wines and want to satisfy all your curiosity about the history and methods of cultivation and wine making you cannot come to a better place, Cavanera is a temple of wine. However, if you are looking for equal excellence in hospitality and you are used to 4-star standards, the real ones, go and stay elsewhere and come here simply to enjoy the tour and wine tasting managed by sommelier Roberto Raciti, host that exudes competence, professionalism, indeed science, and above all sympathy. To stay here you must first of all be lovers of the countryside and be willing to accept the inconveniences starting from the connections: the place is obviously isolated, immersed in the mountain countryside of Etna, without any service in the immediate vicinity. If you have to reach it with a rental car, avoid the classic sedan and opt for an SUV or in any case for a car with high and large wheels and good suspensions because here the authorities do not pay much attention to maintenance of the roads that they call "state or provincial" but, full of holes and depressions, are reduced - just to respect the image of the context - to country paths. Once in the structure you will be greeted by very young but very friendly and already experienced receptionists, prepared both on the services offered by the structure and on those available (activities, tours, experiences, forecasts, etc.) in the territory. Discordant note (for a structure that claims 4 stars): find three receptionists all dressed differently. Except for a girl in uniform, the two men certainly did not excel in elegance either in colors or in the general overview. Good English for everyone and indeed the mastery has allowed one of the men to venture into gallantry towards some guests who, unfortunately, on one occasion has bordered on annoying intrusiveness. The reception is the first point of contact with wine: an impressive display immediately immerses you in the world of Firriato: too bad that - if you are not already an expert in the individual labels - to understand what you are admiring you will have to wait for the arrival of Roberto (who also has his pre-established work shifts) because the receptionists do not have adequate skills. Too bad: even a simple plate with a few descriptive lines and, above all, the well-displayed price would be enough, thus avoiding the customer the embarrassment of choosing but, then, giving up a bottle of wine not within reach of his wallet .. A note also on the local: it is true that we are in the countryside but you certainly do not expect to see cobwebs on the windows and inside. Perhaps we were just unlucky, even respecting - on our part - the check-in time, we had to wait no less than 10 minutes for the delivery of the room, without being able to do anything else view outside the persistent rain. Before talking about the room, a mention of the common services: suggestive context, vineyards (obviously ... go there for that...) As far

We stayed here for two nights and wasn’t prepared for the drive from Cantania Airport . It’s quite a drive when you are not accustomed to the roads and roundabouts Nd detours . The actual road to the resort is on a narrow one lane road but the entrance has a security gate . You have to park at the lower parking lot and walk up a pathway to the reception , along the way you turn and see that you are almost at the base of Mt. Etna . It was awesome sight and steam was coming out not it’s crater . Two days earlier Mt Etna erupted and blew enough ash that the Cantania airport was closed. Check in was a breeze and a young man retrieved our luggage from our car and brought them to our room. Our room was very nice and had a view of Mt Etna . The safe didn’t work and the receptionist gave us a key to use to lock and unlock the safe . The architecture and grounds are impeccable . We had dinner our first night in their very nice restaurant up a hill a quarter mile . One wall of the restaurant was glass , giving the guests awesome view of the valley . Excellent service except unfortunately no one spoke English . Very nice aperitivo with a wonderful Chardonnay . But they screwed up,our orders , we received someone else’s order . I think we enjoyed the view and ambience more then the food . Returning to our room at the resort we had to walk back the quarter mile , but they forgot to put the path lights on. We used our camera lights and it worked perfectly . The following morning the breakfast room was up another grade where the large pool is . The breakfast room is large with a large selection . Especially the baked goods and sweets. Nice cappuccino to . Service rather aloof. Taormina is just a short drive away and Linguaglossa is a small town close to the resort with traditional Sicilian food . Very relaxing resort … Friendly reception , helpful . Great place to spend a few days relaxing .

I booked the Cavarena. Etna looking forward to a relaxing few days in a lovely vineyard where I could enjoy an amazing view of Mount Etna, relax by the pool, enjoy lunch in a stunning vineyard and of course savour some good wines & sparkling drinks. Unfortunately, my expectations were completely shattered when we arrived to check-in.   Check-in:  room not available - far enough.  We asked if lunch was available at the resort and were told, no, it's shut.  We asked if we can get a drink - no, the bar is shut.  So it was suggested that we go to Castiglione di Sicilia, a village on the top of a hill close by, for lunch.  It was an interesting drive not for the faint hearted, only to find the restaurant was shut.   Room:  We had booked a junior suite which faced Mount Etna, but there were no windows or doors to savour the view, instead the only windows were on the other side. of the room, opening out into a postage stamp size patio surrounded by frosted glass for privacy, but overlooking the backyard.  Not a pleasant or relaxing place to sit.  What a missed opportunity to provide such a unique experience. The sink in the bathroom wasn't attached to the surface, the tap was so tight and not easy to use, and the plug was broken.  We reported this, someone looked at it in the evening & said he would get maintenance to look at it the following day - nothing happened (what a surprise). The safe in the room also didn't work and the instructions provided were for a different safe. Late Afternoon Drink:  The resort is very remote, so we decided to have dinner on-site - we wandered over to the restaurant to see if we could get an early evening drink/bottle of sparkling wine.  The veranda of the restaurant was not set up, but someone appeared from the Restaurant and we managed to get a bottle, but it certainly wasn't a relaxing place to enjoy this.    Pre-dinner Drinks & Dinner:  You can't get any pre-dinner drinks anywhere!  The Restaurant couldn't even serve us a Gin & Tonic.   We were shown to our table in a very large dining room to find ourselves in the middle of a number of tables having the tasting menu with a very loud sommelier talking about the wines so we couldn't even hear ourselves think or talk to each other.  Got up & moved to another table the far side of the dining room which then meant the level of service was reduced still further.  A la carte menu is very restrictive and uninspiring.  After that experience we decided we wouldn't eat there again & would have to find somewhere to eat.  no-one even bothered to ask how our meal was, my pasta dish was horrible. Breakfast:  Served from 7:30 in the area next to the swimming pool, but you have to eat inside a glass room that's very hot and can't sit by the pool & enjoy the fresh air.  No glass/china allowed & policed intensely by the waiting staff.  But get plastic so you can sit outside in the fresh year overlooking the vineyard.  Breakfast was freshly made pastries & bread - if you want cook

Beautifully located, spectacular scenery amongst the slopes of Etna and the vineyards. Property is well hidden, you wouldn't know it is there unless you are specifically looking for it. Property is well maintained and their respect for the environment and minimal impact is evident. The staff were wonderful with our check in, escorting us to our room. The pool is lovely, elevated and surrounded by vineyards. Our room was perfect, situated in one of the bungalows. All furnishings and amenities in the room were excellent. We took advantage of the winery tour and tasting and dinner. Our guide was great, very knowledgeable about the winery itself and the wine world in general. Our dinner was delicious....highly recommend the tasting/dinner combo. The staff was very accommodating on our check out date, as we had an Etna trek/tour planned, holding on to our luggage and letting us leave our vehicle there while we were away on our tour for several hours. Looking forward to returning some day, either here or on of the other Filiato properties.

Property is lovely and the reception staff was great. The staff members in the wine bar were very loud and chatty as they complained about work while customers were seated. It was unfortunate because it is such an amazing space and the staff should not be an annoyance. Everything else was great. The wine tour and tasting was very informative.

The property is not simple to reach especially at night. It is for the quite lovers as even the reception close at 8pm . The restaurant is very good. Breakfast ok nothing that make you fill you should be in an upscale wine resort

Great place to unwind, take in the scenery and enjoy yourself with good food and wine.

We stayed 4 nights at this boutique vineyard resort on the Northern slopes of Mt Etna. The rooms and views were very nice, though water pressure and water temperature were not reliable. When more guests arrived the air conditioner stopped working. The breakfast was good, the pool was clean with a lovely view (a very welcome respite during a heatwave). There is a restaurant on site (€€€€) and a Good gym. Location was very remote - there are small towns (Linguaglossa, Randazzo, Passopisciaro) that are a ~20 minute drive on winding Sicilian roads, and you can access Etna North hiking in around 1-1.5hr.

I just wanted to write and say how much my wife and I enjoyed the wine tasting event held at Cavanera Etnea Resort & Wine Experience, Castiglione di Sicilia in Sicily. Roberto Raciti, Head Sommelier at Firriato Winery, was a brilliant host and his enthusiasm and passion for the subject was clearly evident! Also such a friendly and nice guy. Every aspect of the wine tasting experience was great including the venue, food and service! Both myself and my wife have come away with a better understanding of wine and would not hesitate to recommend these workshops to friends and family. Thank you again Roberto and your entire team for the excellent hospitality and an unforgettable learning experience!