Sicilia en Primeur: the 21st edition of the event conceived by Assovini Sicilia ended in Modica. 100 journalists from around the world participated in press tours and the conference that focused on the current debate and the importance of wine culture as conscious consumption, wine tourism and sustainability.
“Wine Sicily, tirelessly resilient, reflects on the past and projects itself with determination into the future, finding in associationism the strength to advance and grow unceasingly.” The message from Mariangela Cambria, president of Assovini Sicilia, closes the 21st edition of Sicilia en Primeur, emphasizing the association’s central role in the global debate surrounding the world of wine, defining a programmatic manifesto that leverages the cultural value of wine and the main factors that define it today: wine tourism, sustainability, conscious consumption, and production quality.
It was the city of Modica and its Baroque scenery-from the Conti Castle to the Garibaldi Theater-that hosted the most important traveling showcase of Sicilian wine, dedicated to the preview of the latest vintage, conceived and organized by Assovini Sicilia since 2004.
A journey to the heart of wine Sicily: the eleven enotours that led the international press to discover the island’s different wine souls have consecrated the success of a format that makes the territory its protagonist. More than three hundred labels, presented in a technical tasting run by AIS, offered vibrant evidence of the dynamism and quality that animate Sicilian producers.
More and more attention was paid to content, with the new formula of four talks that allowed for an in-depth look at current issues such as communication in the new generations, neuromarketing, and the protection and enhancement of wine production thanks to the new state marks.
The conference Wine Culture in Sicily: a millennial history that looks to the future
With the conference “The Culture of Wine in Sicily: a millennial history that looks to the future”, hosted at the Garibaldi Theater in Modica, Assovini Sicilia shines a spotlight on the relevance of the wine factor in the economic-political and social context, offering new insights and reflections.
Moderated by Luciano Ferraro, deputy editor of Corriere della Sera, the conference opened with institutional greetings from Agriculture Councillor Salvatore Barbagallo, and Felice Assenza, ICQRF (Central Inspectorate for Quality and Fraud Repression) department head of Masaf, who stressed the importance of “strengthen traceability and control systems to protect the identity and competitiveness of our wine in the world. These controls – said Assenza – not only protect the consumer, but also ensure fair competition among producers, helping to eliminate counterfeit products from the market and combat the phenomenon of Italian sounding, which is particularly widespread abroad.”
Starting with the pay-off of this XXI edition, The Culture of Wine in Sicily: a millennial history that looks to the future, it is culture, the leitmotif and thematic thread of the conference, declined in the different contributions of the speakers, who reasoned, each according to their area of expertise and action, about possible solutions and scenarios.
In her opening speech, Mariangela Cambria, president of Assovini Sicilia, stressed that “today, in the face of global challenges where wine is at the center of a heated debate, it is essential to return to our roots in order to reflect and respond to future challenges. The next challenge for Assovini Sicilia is not only to maintain high quality wine production and invest in sustainability, but also to protect cultural value against restrictive international dynamics, against thinking that criminalizes a product of civilization, knowledge, beauty and tradition “.
The S Factor by Andrea Lonardi MW
Master of Wine Andrea Lonardi laid the groundwork for a programmatic manifesto entitled. The S factor: the uniqueness of the Sicilian wine continent., and explored the future of Sicilian wine through twelve keywords beginning with “S”-from scenario to dream-offering a deep reflection on identity, sustainability and strategic vision.
“It is necessary to retain young people, to enhance identity sites beyond Etna, to create contemporary wines and narratives, and to train a new generation of winemakers to meet the challenges. Sicilian wine can still remain a cultural symbol and a shared dream if guided by vision and responsibility but with preparation, method and discipline,” commented Andrea Lonardi.
Focus on wine tourism with Senator Dario Stefàno and Professor Antonello Maruotti
It’s spelled wine tourism and it’s read wine culture, travel and territory. From the vineyard to the digital showcase: the South that innovates between events, e-commerce and new hospitality models for wine tourism, was the title of the talk given by Lumsa University professors Dario Stefàno and Antonello Maruotti, who illustrated and commented on the results of the focus on Sicily of the research conducted by the new Centro Studi Enoturismo e Oleoturismo at LUMSA University, led by Dario Stèfano himself.
“The wine tourism offer in Southern Italy, and in Sicily in particular, which emerges from the CESEO survey, draws a dynamic model, rooted in tradition but capable of combining innovation and experientiality. Direct sales and e-commerce exports are increasingly characterized as strategic channels of economic growth, with online becoming more prominent in the turnover ” – said Dario Stefàno, president of the Centro Studi Enoturismo e Oleoturismo at LUMSA University, and Antonello Maruotti, professor of Statistics (Lumsa University).
Wine awareness and culture: for informed and conscious consumption
The discussion was enriched with the topic. Awareness and wine culture: for an informed and conscious consumption, or the relationship between wine and health, discussed by Sara Farnetti, a specialist in Internal Medicine and the Pathophysiology of Metabolism and Nutrition. “Wine is a unique, genuine, cultural heritage and as such should be preserved. It makes no sense to present a ban on alcohol consumption, it would be logical and effective to make people aware of consumption, deliberate independently a review of habits. In this way we achieve a cultural change, we teach respect and care for the individual” – added Sara Farnetti.
The new projects of the SOStain Sicily Foundation
Finally, wine culture in Sicily today cannot ignore the role of sustainability and the SOStain Sicilia Foundation, “which is proving,” commented Alessio Planeta, ” more and more a fundamental tool for the present and future of Sicilian wine. On the stage at Sicilia en Primeur, Alessio Planeta, advisor to the SOStain Sicilia Foundation, presented new projects such as “Honeybees and vineyard” on bee repopulation and bee biomonitoring, and the “Light Bottle – One Hundred Percent Sicily” that aims to reduce the carbon footprint. The SOStain Sicilia Foundation, born from the will and synergy between Assovini Sicilia and the Consortium for the Protection of Sicily Doc Wines, now has forty-four member companies and 23.6 thousand SOStain Sicilia certified bottles.
57 member wineries at press meeting for Sicilia en Primeur
Grand finale at the Castello dei Conti di Modica with the walk-around tasting that featured 57 member wineries in the meeting with the press, in addition to the excellence of wine production with 300 wines for tasting.
Sicilia en Primeur was also the occasion of the collaboration between Assovini Sicilia and La Sicilia di Ulisse, the association that brings together Sicilian excellence in the hospitality, gastronomy and viticulture sectors, which curated the event’s closing dinner.
The Commentary of Tony Lo Coco, president La Sicilia di Ulisse
“Sicilia en Primeur is another important step in the collaboration project between Assovini and La Sicilia di Ulisse aimed at promoting our region through its excellence in food, wine and hospitality. To have offered guests the experience of Sicilian haute cuisine, combined with the great wines of the area, was undoubtedly the most authentic form of promotion of our island, a living expression of its culture and identity,” – commented Tony Lo Coco, president La Sicilia di Ulisse. Another synergy put in place during Sicilia en Primeur, is the event organized together with the Enoteca Regionale Sicilia Sud- Est and the Ats Strade del vino Cerasuolo di Vittoria, dedicated to a delegation of national and foreign journalists, guests of a tasting to discover the wines of the territory.
The conclusions of President Mariangela Cambria
Wine, ” concluded Mariangela Cambria. cannot be deprived of its purest essence: its cultural value. Our wine culture promotes the Sicily brand in markets around the world, enhancing its history, diversity and uniqueness .
