The vineyards at Tarantola have been in the Testa family for many generations and are run by Filippo Testa, who also runs the guest house. Filippo’s passions in life are organic viticulture and jazz. The estate produces organic olive oil and its own label organic wine, and Filippo streams jazz music from the farm 24 hours a day. Filippo has recently published a novel – The Vine Whisperer – a thrilling chronicle of life in the vineyards of Western Sicily, based on his own story.

The guest house at Tarantola is in a converted stable block next to the old family farmhouse. It sits on a hillside at the centre of the Testa vineyards, overlooking the rolling plains of the Alcamo doc wine region. Tarantola is the ideal spot for anyone looking for an oasis of calm away from the city, or for a country base within easy reach of the sites of western Sicily.

Alcamo is the hub of the Alcamo doc wine region and is close to some of the loveliest sites on the island: the stunning Greek ruins of Segesta; the dramatic coastline and beaches of Lo Zingaro; the hilltop village of Erice with its incredible views; the once wealthy port town of Trapani that sits astride an expanse of ancient salt plains.