Sicily, a “pioneer” in narrating to the world the mix wine-food-territories which makes Italy unique

A dish manages to narrate the quality of raw materials, the bond with the territories, the craftsmanship, and biodiversity, but kitchen intercepts also the trends of the moment such as the growing attention to healthy nutrition, and the choice of sustainable products belonging, among other things, to the Mediterranean Diet. A sustainability, which, at this point, is not environmental anymore, but also social, cultural, ethical. And, through made in Italy food and wine excellences, what is exported in the world is exactly this Italian culture of good table arising in the territories which everyone loves, and make us unique. A table, where, with food, there has always been wine, and viceversa. And, along the trio food-wine-territories as “means” to narrate to the world, which, pioneeringly, Sicily aimed to, after having lived a real “renaissance” thanks to wine, having made their chefs ambassadors of products and territories, and having bonded all this to a millennial culture, already characterized by many contamination arriving up to contemporary art (very beautiful and “unchangeable” as Giovanni Verga defined it with its over 100 Italian heritage, and, in great part Unesco sites). And, collecting the results of this work, which saw together public and private, old and new generations, big companies, and small artisans, and, which, today, sees, increasingly more, the collaboration with important names of the world of culture, of which, among other things, was a world “cradle”, but also of made in Italy. And, it collects it also in growing enotourism, making one of the most desired destinations y tourists, not only because of wine, and thanks to Sicilian hospitality which doesn’t have competitors (tourists dream about it already much before thanks to novels such as “Il Gattopardo” by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, among the most read in the world, then cinematographic masterpiece by great neorealist director Luchino Visconti, and, today, successful Italian mini-serie on Netflix, not to mention the detective novels by Andrea Camilleri, in which, in 2025, 100 years from the arousal are celebrated, and of the lucky Tv series of Commissioner Montalbano). Because if you think about this wonderful island in the heart of the Mediterranean, “one, noone, and hundred thousands” to say it as Luigi Pirandello, the first thing that comes to mind is exactly this colored mix such as in a n artwork by Renato Guttuso, and how the voices that WineNews will collect will explain (in a video, ed) in the next trip to “Sicilia en Primeur” 2025, the itinerant event of Assovini Sicilia, which, headed by Mariangela Cambria, reunites over 100 among the most virtuous wineries, and, which, in edition No. 21, from tomorrow up to May, 10th, hosts 100 journalists from all over the world with pay-off “La cultura del vino in Sicilia: una storia millenaria che guarda al futuro” - “Wine culture in Sicily: a millennial story looking to the future”, and in the year in which Sicily is the first “European Region of Gastronomy” 2025 of Italy.
It is credit also to be a crossroads of passages, civilizations, and cultures, but also of climates, from Mediterranean to that of mountain which makes Sicily one of the most important wine territories in the world, where wine is cultivated almost everywhere, from seaside to volcano – with Socilian vineyard which is the biggest in Italy with over 100,000 hectares (and, the first for organic surface, 30% of Italian total), from Menfi to Noto, from Marsala to Pantelleria, from Vittoria to Etna “diamond”, among others – with over 70 varieties of native vineyards - from Nero d’Avola to Nerello Mascalese, from Catarratto to Grillo, just to mention some of them – which, next to international ones, make Sicily a “wine continent” custodian of a millennial wine tradition, which, introduced by Phoenixes, is among the most ancient ones in the world, with a continuous willingness to innovate. And, with white wines, particularly, which are living an important moment, so that the exports of Pdo wines, in 2024, marked a +8.9% compared to 2023, thanks to markets such as the Uk (+37%), Russia (+34%), Germania (+12%), Canada, and the unmissable Usa (+11%), where also red wines, in a context of overall drop in the export of typology (-2.9% in 2024), grow by +6%, as well as in Canada (+22%), Russia (+17%), and the Netherlands (“Osservatorio sulla competitività delle Regioni del Vino – Sicilia” - “Observatory about competitiveness of Wine Regions - Sicily” data, by Nomisma Wine Monitor and UniCredit). And, exactly in the States, Sicily is among the most known and visited Italian regions from Americans thanks also to the quality of its wines, with the percentage of consumers increasing among those who visited Italy in the last five years, appreciate Italian cuisine, are Millennials (29-44 years), wine lovers (good wine connoisseurs), and have a yearly income over 100,000 dollars. American consumers are lured by Italian and Sicilian wines for the values that these express, mainly linked to tradition, variety of native vineyards, and recognized quality, both at an international level, and quality-price ratio. And, most of them, duties or not-duties, sees a future in growth for Italian wine.
Surely, starting from tomorrow, it will be discussed at “Sicilia en primeur” 2025, in Modica, where Assovini Sicilia will host a delegation of 100 Italian, and European journalists (France, Poland, Sweden, German, Norway), and extraeuropean (Canada, the Usa, Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Israel, Brazil, the Uk) to explore Sicily, and discover the richness of its food and wine heritage, but also cultural, involved in 11 press tours which will explore any angle of the island, from Etna to Pantelleria, from Marsala to Agrigento, from Monreale to Lipari, to, then, refind in Modica, where, on May, 9th and 10th, the central moment of en primeur will be held. And, where, “Sicilia en Primeur”, explains Mariangela Cambria, president Assovini Sicilia, “will be a showcase for this splendid Baroque city, territory, and wine production of South-East. Wine, in addition to be a agricultural or commercial product, is an essential element of the universal culture passing through centuries, and civilizations. Wine culture is now translated into trip culture. A trip starting from the vineyard, from the work of earth, passes through a yearly cycle, arrives to the glass, bottle, tables all over the world. I thank Istituto Commercio Estero - Foreign Trade Agency (Ice), and our sponsors, without them, this event, which since over 20 years turns the spotlights on Sicily recalling national and international food and wine press, wouldn’t be possible – concludes - “Sicilia en Primeur” is a meeting, which is, at this point, very awaited, which contributed in a determining way to consolidate the image of a Sicilian wine continent vocated to excellence”.
Therefore, it will start on May, 9th, with the technical tasting at Castello dei Conti di Modica, and with talks about topics of current events including tools to communicate wine to new generations, a deepening about new State seals to safeguard made in Italy, neuromarketing, and consumption psychology, and a talk about the figures of Assovini Sicilia. The first meeting is at Garibaldi Theater, in Modica with the meeting about wine culture meant as informed and aware drinking as promotion of the territory through enotourism, and protection of the environment through increasingly more sustainable good practices. Among the speakers, Master of Wine, Andrea Lonardi, who will talk about “Fattore S: l’unicità del continente vitivinicolo siciliano” - “S Factor: the uniqueness of Sicilian wine continent”, Dario Stefàno, president Centro Enoturistico e Oleoturistico (Lumsa University), and Antonello Maruotti, professor of Statistics (Lumsa University) about “Il Sud che innova tra eventi, e-commerce e nuovi modelli di accoglienza per l’enoturismo” - “Sud which innovates among events, e-commerces, and new models of hospitality for enotourism”. Sara Farnetti, specialist in Internal Medicine, and Physiopathology of Metabolism and Nutrition, will turn the spotlights on “Cultura del vino: per un consumo informato e consapevole” - “Wine culture: for an informed and aware consumption”. In the end, Alessio Planeta, council member Foundation SOStain Sicilia will talk about “Futuro sostenibile del vino siciliano” - “Sustainable future of Sicilian wine”, all moderated by Luciano Ferraro, vicedirector “Corriere della Sera”. To follow, the gala dinner signed with La Sicilia di Ulisse, association reuniting Sicilian excellences of hospitality, gastronomy, and viticulture, to celebrate the award of the island at “European Region of Gastronomy” 2025: chefs Accursio Craparo by Radici, in Modica, Vincenzo Candiano by Locanda Don Serafino, in Ragusa (1 Michelin star), Giuseppe Causarano, and Antonio Colombo by Votavota, in Marina di Ragusa (1 Michelin star), and Giuseppe Torrisi by Cortile Santo Spirito, Siracusa (1 Michelin star) will curate the menu. To Antica Dolceria Bonajuto, in Modica, the task to prepare cassata siciliana, and chocolate. On May, 10th, always at Castello dei Conti, in the end, wine tastings by 57 producers by Assovini Sicilia will go on stage, who will propose to journalists their labels: from Arianna Occhipinti to Baglio di Pianetto, from Benanti to Cos, from Cottanera to Cristo di Campobello, from Cusumano to Donnafugata, from Feudo Arancio to Feudo Maccari, from Girolamo Russo to Graci, from Mandrarossa to Pietradolce, from Planeta to Principi di Butera, from Serra Ferdinandea to Spadafora Vignaioli in Sicilia, from Tasca d’Almerita to Tenuta Rapitalà, and Zisola, just to mention some of them.