Join me in September!
We have a few spots left for four fun-filled days of eating, drinking, touring and writing in my food writing workshop in Sicily.
If you’re thinking about traveling to Europe later this year, you could loop in a few days of food writing with me. You’ll tour an award-winning winery specializing in Sicilian wines, an organic farm owned by a passionate young couple, take a cooking class, and enjoy several convivial meals with a small group of food-obsessed types.
Demet Guzey and I will hold our Sicily food writing workshop September 19-23, 2025. Demet teaches food writing at the Cordon Bleu in Paris and she is a fluent Italian speaker. She is also our fixer and expert on Italian cuisine.
The Location
We will stay at the Hotel Gutkowski, our boutique waterfront accommodation. It is listed as the best hotel in this Forbes article. Located on the small island of Ortigia, on the Eastern side of Sicily, it is a one-hour drive south from the city of Catania.
We have sold most of the 10 hotel rooms, but we have room for a few more.
Ortigia is considered one of the most beautiful destinations in Italy. It has a town center with historic stone buildings, a picturesque town square with a produce market, and a small pebbled beach.
Here we will be away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Our days will be filled with writing, excursions to restaurants, and meetings with local farmers, winemakers and artisan food producers.
Our Activities
During our four-days together, we will explore the abundant produce in Ortigia’s daily market. We will get to know what Sicily is known for:
Soft, buttery Castelvetrano olives
Almonds so sweet that when raw they taste like marzipan
Blood oranges and bergamots
Rich, deeply-colored red wines.
Ortigia and neighboring Syracuse are famous for fresh seafood. They also attract visitors to their Greek ruins, should you want to visit them before or after our workshop.
A family farm trip features vistas of olive, almond and citrus trees. The young and passionate owners will welcome us with seasonal organic produce and traditional recipes. In their farmhouse kitchen, we will go from farm to table with a cooking class and an al fresco meal, under the green cover of carob trees.
We also visit a family-owned winery to taste their award-winning organic wines. Their red wines are made with local Nero D’avola grapes. They also make a famed floral and fruity Moscato Bianco and a gold-colored sweet Passito wine.
Dinners take place in Ortigia, steps from our hotel. At each meal we will enjoy a choice of local cheeses, salumi, pasta and seafood, paired with Sicilian wines We can also order Sicilian classics like caponata, arancini, and cannoli.
Here’s what one participant said about our workshop:
“What a joy it was to be a part of the food-wine-writing-villa extravaganza. I thought the whole workshop was wonderful in all ways–the villa, the people, the instruction, the eating and wine tasting and food preparation. I am thankful that I had this unique experience, that my husband could join in, and I’m excited to see what writing/art projects evolve from all I learned and experienced.” – Lynn Archer, blogger, California
Our Writing Workshop
During your time in Sicily, you will be immersed in Italian culture, be part of a supportive group of peers, and you will have the space to focus on your writing.
This is a workshop for all writers, whether you are published or have never written much at all but want to do so in a nurturing and inspiring environment. Our classes and workshops are designed to ignite your passion for the stories you want to tell.
Here’s what we will work on together:
Strengthening your voice
Writing with the senses
Storytelling
Food and travel writing.
Price and Details
We will meet you in the city of Catania on September 19, 2025. From there we will take the group south to Ortigia. We suggest you arrive in Catania the day before, September 18, 2025, in case there are travel delays, and to get accustomed to the European time zone.
Price: $2990 double occupancy, $3510 single occupancy.
All amounts include a $1000 non-refundable deposit per person.
Partners and friends are welcome. The price for those not joining the writing workshop but attending all other events is $2750.
Secure your spot and pay the non-refundable $1000 deposit. The remaining amount is due July 19, 2025.
Included in the workshop:
Four nights at a boutique hotel in Ortigia, where we plan to be the only guests
Daily writing sessions
Winery tour and tasting at a family winery
Market visit in Ortigia
Cooking class at a family farm
All lunches and three dinners
All transfers with a private minibus.
Not included: Airfare to Italy, travel insurance, and the hotel the night before in Catania.
For more about your instructors, see my bio and Demet’s About page. For more about the type of food writing workshops we do together, here’s a post I wrote about our last workshop in Italy. Read more in these posts from students:
For questions and to sign up, email Dianne at dj@diannej.com. You can also leave questions and comments below.
This sounds divine. Unfortunately, my trip is scheduled in October. Would love to join if there’s going to be one next year!
Omg this sounds wonderful