A “manifesto” for wine Sicily, and its many “S factors”, from “scenario to dream”

Sicily, which, as a pioneer, aimed to mix food-wine-territory to narrate its identity and evolution, put at the center f the debate the latest news of factor wine in today economic-politic and social context by offering new cues and reflections. Therefore, putting at the center the importance of wine culture, and its protection – strong of its powerful history, and its unique biodiversity – Sicily can find in enotourism and sustainability, in continuity network, and aware planning ability, regulated by stimuli to cope with a difficult context. Even becoming a world example and resource for the viticulture of the future. Message launched at the closing of “Sicilia en Primeur”, by Assovini, at the conference “La Cultura del vino in Sicilia: una storia millenaria che guarda al futuro” - “Wine Culture in Sicily: a millennial history looking to the future”, at Teatro Garibaldi, in Modica, by Assovini Sicilia, after the talks of the last days in which one talked about “next gen”, artificial intelligence, and not only. Moderated by Luciano Ferraro, vicedirector of “Corriere della Sera”, to deal with different themes according to their competence area, Salvatore Barbagallo, Agriculture Regional Assessor, Felice Assenza, chief department Icqrf, Mariangela Cambria, president of Assovini Sicilia, Master of Wine Andrea Lonardi, Dario Stefàno, president of Wine and Oil Tourism Study Centre, Antonello Maruotti, professor of Statistics, both at the University of Rome Lumsa; Sara Farnetti, specialist in Internal Medicine, and Physiopathology of Metabolism and Nutrition, and Alessio Planeta, acting as council member of Foundation SOStain Sicilia. “Sicily of wine, tirelessly resilient, reflects on past, and projects with determination towards future, finding in associationism the strength to advance and constantly grow”, commenced Mariangela Cambria, president of Assovini Sicilia underlining the central role of the association in the global debate about wine world, defining the future path leveraging on the cultural value of wine, and on the main factors which today define it: enotourism, sustainability, and productive quality. “Today, in front of global challenges seeing wine at the center of an intense debate – precised Cambria – it is fundamental to be back to our roots, and reply to future challenges. The next challenge for Assovini Sicilia is not only to maintain high the quality of wine production, and invest in sustainability, but also protect the cultural value against restrictive international dynamics against a thought criminalizing a product of civilization, knowledge, beauty, and tradition”. Salvatore Barbagallo – Agriculture Regional Assessor confirmed the maximum support to producers by local administrations, lingering on current efforts addressed towards the improvement of services dedicated to entrepreneurial tissue towards a plural and structural solution of water crisis, and towards the touristic attractiveness, today supported also by the recent nomination of “Regione Europea della Gastronomia 2025” - “European Region of Gastronomy 2025” , while Felice Assenza, chief department Icqrf (Ispettorato centrale qualità e repressione frodi - Central Quality Inspectorate and fraud prevention) of Masaf – Italian Agriculture Minister, underlined the importance to “reinforce traceability and control systems to protect the identity, and competitiveness of our wine in the world. These controls – affirmed Assenza – not only protect the consumer, but also ensure a loyal competitiveness among producers contributing to eliminate forged products from the market, and to contrast the phenomenon of Italian sounding, particularly widespread abroad”. Master of Wine Andrea Lonardi tracked the future of Sicilian wine (and of world reflection) through his articulated intervention “Il fattore S: l’unicità del continente vitivinicolo siciliano” - “S factor: the uniqueness of Sicilian wine continent”. Starting from the evident current difficulties of the sector, and the weaknesses of the region, he offered a deep reflection about identity, sustainability, and strategic vision through twelve key words beginning with letter “S” - Scenario - Scenario, Storia - History, Sociale - Social, Sostenibile - Sustainable, Sito - Site, Stile - Style, Sistema - System, Strategia - Strategy, Successione - Sequence, Sperimentazione - Experimentation, Segno - Sign, Sfida - Challenge, Sogno - Dream. “Sicily is among the most important assets of Italian wine – explained Lonardi – but as everyone, it is coping with a context of silent and incessant crisis in which it underwent a strong decrease of vineyard surface increasing, at the same time, the quality of its wines, and the part of bottled. It is necessary to hold young people, valorize identity sites beyond Etna, create wines, and contemporary narrations, educate a new generation of vine growers, supporting them technically to cope with the difficult challenges of the sector, and of the planet. It is also necessary to relaunch the fundamental presence of social wineries, and put them in communication with Sicilian historical families who contributed to the renaissance of Sicily: only in this way, one can preserve vine and wine cultivation in a widespread, and structural way in the territory. Sicilian wine can still remain cultural symbol, and shared dream – highlighted Lonardi – if driven by vision and responsibility with preparation, method, and discipline”. And, a good part of the future of Sicilian wine passes through enotourism too, on which, Assovini wineries invested a lot, with the same Sicily, which, at this point, became one of the most important “wine destinations”, as testified also by the study carried out by University Lumsa “Dalla vigna alla vetrina digitale: il Sud che innova tra eventi, e-commerce e nuovi modelli di accoglienza per l’enoturismo” - “From the vineyard to digital showcase: the South innovating among events, e-commerce, and new models of hospitality for enotourism”, with which Dario Stefàno, president of Wine and Oil Tourism Study Centre, and Antonello Maruotti, professor of Statistics illustrated as the wine offer in Southern Italy, and, particularly, in Sicily, both a dynamic model, rooted in the traditional tasting of wines, but enriched with a wide variety of lateral experiences, and courses, also in premium version (for experts), and dedicated (for example, for families). A model, which, in certain sense, it is more developed than in other parts of Italy where hospitality in winery is limited to the only tasting. “Direct selling and export e-commerce are increasingly more characterized as strategic channels of economic growth also in Sicily - Stefàno and Maruotti deepened – while the points to be further developed in the region are the opening of companies in the weekend, and a higher development of overnight stay, and restoration”. On the contrary, Sara Farnetti, specialist in Internal Medicine, and Physiopathology of Metabolism, and Nutrition, expressed her optimism in managing to preserve wine as unique, genuine, and cultural heritage. According to her, “it doesn’t make sense to present a ban to alcoholic drink consumption, it would be logic and effective make people aware to consumption, deliberate in an autonomous way a revision of habits. In that way, we make a cultural change, we teach respect, and the cure of the person”. In the end, wine culture, in Sicily, today, can’t exclude the role of sustainability and Foundation SOStain Sicilia, “which shows – according to Alessio Planeta, producer with family winery, and council member of the Foundation – to be, increasingly more, a fundamental tool for the present and future of Sicilian wine”, also through new projects such as “Honeybees and vineyard” about the repopulate of bees, and bee bio-monitoring (in this moment, 10 member companies adhere to that), and “Bottiglia leggera - CentoperCento Sicilia”, aiming to the reduction of carbon footprint. Yes to environmental sustainability, but also economic: therefore, SOStain conquered Scandinavian markets as first Italian regional certification, third overall, inserted by Intertek in the elite of the prestigious study for the monopoly in Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Island. Foundation SOStain Sicilia, arisen in 2020 by the willingness and sinergy between Assovini Sicilia, and Consorzio di Tutela vini Doc Sicilia, counts, today, fourtyfour associate members (they were 26 in 2022), and over 23 million of SOStain Sicilia certified bottles (which were little over 19 million in 2022). But, in the sign of duo wine-food, “Sicilia en Primeur” was also the occasion of the collaboration between Assovini Sicilia and La Sicilia di Ulisse, the association reuniting Sicilian excellences in the sectors of hospitality, gastronomy, and viticulture, which curated the closing dinner of the event. “Sicilia en Primeur is a further important step in collaboration project between Assovini and La Sicilia di Ulisse, aiming to promote our region through its excellences of high quality Sicilian cuisine, paired to great wines og the territory, it was, without any doubts, the most authentic form of promotion of our island, living expression of its culture, and identity”, commented Tony Lo Coco, president La Sicilia di Ulisse. An other implemented strategy during Sicilia en Primeur was the event organized together with Enoteca Regionale Sicilia Sud- Est and Ats Strade del vino Cerasuolo di Vittoria, dedicated to the delegation of national and foreign journalists, hosts of a tasting at the discovery of wine territories. “Wine - concluded Mariangela Cambria, president Assovini Sicilia - can’t exclude its purest essence: its cultural value. Our wine culture promotes brand Sicily in markets all over the world by valorizing its history, diversity, and uniqueness”.