Sicily is big enough that "Sicily" is not a destination — the north coast, the Aeolians, the east under Etna and the baroque south-east are four different cruising grounds with four different characters. We deliver to Marina Villa Igiea in Palermo, to Porto dell’Etna at Riposto on the east coast, to Marina di Siracusa in the old city, and to Marina di Portorosa on the Tyrrhenian side opposite the Aeolian islands.

Which one matters, because the island is a long way across by road. Getting a delivery to Palermo when the yacht is at Riposto costs a day nobody has. Tell us the marina and the date rather than the island and we will route it properly; orders ship from our French cellar on EU logistics, no customs frontier, typically three to four working days from confirmation.

Portorosa and Riposto are the practical bases for the Aeolians, which is where most Sicilian charters actually spend their time. A yacht working Lipari, Panarea, Salina and Stromboli is a long way from a decent wine merchant for a fortnight, so this is a coast where storing properly before you go out is the whole game. We size deliveries for the leg, not for the week.

Etna has become one of the most interesting wine regions in Europe and it is directly behind Riposto: high-altitude Nerello Mascalese that drinks like Burgundy on volcanic soil, and taut Carricante whites. Add Marsala’s serious old bottlings, the Aeolian Malvasia dessert wines and Sicily’s Grillo and Frappato, and there is a genuinely great local list to put in front of guests here.