“We are a young voice eager to drive change and innovate, while respecting the past”

The world of Italian wine is renewing itself, thanks to the new generations who advance: raised among the vineyards, with grandparents who were winegrowers and who not only founded the family businesses but were also the architects of the “Renaissance” of Italian wine, these young people have inherited a legacy which was carried forward by their parents. Today, they continue to uphold those values while projecting them into a complex future, one which is within their reach because it belongs to them. “There is a very strong desire to continue bringing vitality and energy to this association together, with a young voice eager for change and innovation. It will certainly be a great challenge, one which will give us the opportunity to contribute by ushering in a new chapter, without ever questioning the values of this association. Our goal is to listen ever more closely to the needs of the market, keep pace with change, and hopefully be highly responsive and proactive in identifying opportunities within the sector”. These were the words by Gabriella Favara, the latest generation of the historic Donnafugata winery and, as of today, the new president of Assovini Sicilia. The association now has an entirely under 40 Board of Directors, thanks to the inclusion of members from the association Generation Next initiative. Assovini Sicilia brings together 100 wine companies across Sicily, and its new board includes vicepresident Pietro Pollara, Graziano Nicosia (Tenute Nicosia), Costante Planeta (Planeta), Alessandro Tasca (Tasca d’Almerita), Cristina Madaudo (Camporè), Enrica Spadafora (Dei Principi di Spadafora), Pierfilippo Marchello (Cantine Pellegrino), and Totò Navarra (Tenute Navarra).
Under 30 and originally from Marsala, Gabriella Favara is the International Marketing Manager of the family-owned Donnafugata winery. Like many of her peers - both in Sicily and not only - she joined the company four years ago after earning a degree in Business Administration and a Master degree in Business Management in Oxford. Following several professional experiences in trade marketing, she returned to Sicily to oversee international markets for the family business.
“For me, it is a great honor to take on this role and to share this journey with my fellow members of Generation Next - added the new president of Assovini Sicilia, founded in the late 1990s by the fathers of Sicilian wine Giacomo Rallo (precisely grandfather of Gabriella, who brings the name of grandmother Gabriella Anca Rallo, herself a pioneer of female winemaking, ed), Diego Planeta, and Lucio Tasca d’Almerita -  we want to take Sicily even further, showcasing through Assovini a model of collaboration capable of promoting an important sector such as wine and fostering a true spirit of teamwork”.
Through this collaborative vision, Sicilian wine has become a model to follow and a successful case study in Italy. Here, generations have always worked side by side to grow both their businesses and their territories, as often reported on WineNews, helping elevate Sicilian wine to the highest levels of international recognition.