“Sicilia en primeur”: 2005 Sicily’s Best Harvest in the Past 30 Years. Exports Skyrocket (+60%). Production and Business Boom, Surpassing 600 Million Euro Mark

2005 was a propitious year for Sicily. In fact, “it was on of the best harvests in the past 30 years”, according to Franco Pisa, delegate for Assovini, who, together with the group’s president Lucio Tasca d'Almerita, are the masterminds behind the exhibition “Sicilia en primeur” (10-12 March), which will offer tastings of 60 different labels from 28 different producers. Tasca explained that “…the climactic cycle during the year completely favored the vegetal-productive cycle of the grapes: abundant rains, the right alternation between cool nights and hot, but not torrid, days allowed for the creation of mature and integral clusters”.

And production for 2005 was also abundant: 7,282,907 hectoliters, + 10% from 2004. The total area of vineyards is 118,000 hectares, + 22,000 hectares. The vineyards are dispersed between hill terrains (65%), flatlands (35%), and mountains (5%). There are 450 wine companies that privately package wine, and 50 cooperatives, producing a total worth of over 600 million euros (20% of the island’s Gdp). It must also be noted that 1,800,000 hectoliters of the total amount of wine produced is certified Doc and Igt.

The export sector is also very satisfied, registering a 60% increase in shipping in 2005, for a total value of 81 million euros. The lion’s share is sent to other European countries, followed by North America, eastern European countries, Asia, Japan, and Australia.

But Sicilian producers have not wasted time celebrating their success and are already starting to prepare for the next boom that should result from the magnificent 2005 harvest.

”Sicilia en primeur”, explained Assovini Sicilia President, Lucio Tasca d’Almerita, “has the goal of offering this latest most extraordinary harvest from this most evocative region, to be evaluated by international experts. Sicily, in fact, enjoys high consideration in the world panorama of winemaking with wine being the island’s top ambassador - a symbol of the territory and its millenary culture”.

2005 Sicily Harvest … Grape by Grape

The 2005 grape harvest in Sicily was a memorable one and here is a list of its characteristics for each grape variety picked. For white grapes (Catarratto, Inzolia, Grecanico ...), the harvest contained just the right amount of sugars and an excellent acidity, which guarantees the persistence of their perfumes and aromas with the passing of time. A particularly good year for Il Grillo, which accumulated a superior sugar level and perfect acidity levels. The same goes for non native varieties (Fiano, Vermentino) and for international grapes (Chardonnay, Sauvignon), which have the same qualities as their native companions. In fact, Sicily will be offering some of its best results with its international varieties.
As for red grapes, both native varieties (Nero d’avola, Nerelli, Frappato ...) and non native international varieties (Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet) reached an optimum level of maturation, thus ensuring the right sugar content and definition of polyphenols and anthocyanins, resulting in perfumes and tastes that have never occurred before.