The world of wine is increasingly establishing itself as a key element of Sicily’s economy, between production and wine tourism. The island, in fact, is today the second largest vineyard in Italy (95,760 hectares under cultivation) and is the first region in terms of organic vineyard surface area. The data emerged from the Observatory on the competitiveness of the Wine Regions – Sicily, created by Nomisma Wine Monitor in collaboration with UniCredit and presented on the occasion of the 2024 edition of Sicilia en Primeur. The annual preview of Sicilian wines, organized by Assovini Sicilia, was held in Cefalù at the end of May, with the theme “Cultivating the Future”, in a reflection on the future of wine, in a year marked by a decline in global imports.
The reasons are cyclical and structural: importers have accumulated excessive inventories due to fears of disruptions and price increases, while the economic slowdown and inflation have reduced consumers’ spending capacity. Meanwhile, wine consumption is changing: the purchase of red wine is decreasing, young people drink less and light, low-alcohol wines are preferred. In a constantly changing scenario, Sicily continues its revolutionary path, started between the 1990s and 2000s. «Wine – explains Alessio Planeta, CEO of the historic family company – is also a fundamental tool for tourism development, which is constantly growing. The season is very long, the climate allows you to visit the whole island not only in summer. For the future we look at sustainability and the story of the different territories: the objective is to increase specific knowledge of Sicily, also increasing the perception of quality offered. Today, white wines and organic crops sustain Sicily despite reduced yields due to extreme climate events and downy mildew.
In 2023, the export of PDO red wines fell by 4%, while that of PDO white wines increased by 7%. Bearing in mind that Istat data does not consider shipments from ports in other regions, the total export of Sicilian wines and musts is probably even higher. In large-scale retail trade, sales of regional PDO wines increased by 5.3% in value and 0.3% in volume. «Now the great opportunity – comments Matteo Zoppas, president of Ice, the agency for the promotion of Italian companies abroad – is to work to promote and enhance Made in Italy on international distribution channels. We have wines of great value that are not yet sufficiently appreciated abroad. Sicily is doing a lot and there is great interest in island and volcanic wines”. According to a survey by the Observatory, Sicilian wines ranked fifth in terms of notoriety, behind those of Piedmont, Tuscany, Veneto and Friuli -Venezia Giulia.
«Sicily – concludes Mariangela Cambria, President of Assovini Sicilia – is not a Region, but a true wine-growing continent. We have just celebrated a double birthday: 25 years since the foundation of Assovini Sicilia and 20 years since the first edition of Sicilia en Primeur. The association, which today brings together almost one hundred wine companies, has been a protagonist in the history of Sicilian viticulture and its revolution. I hope that our experience can also be an example for other territories. Knowing how to work as a team, even among potential competitors, always proves to be advantageous for everyone.”
