Sicilian wine reinvents itself: new models for market success.

This is one of the best seasons, indeed the best in recent years. Some are talking about the harvest returning to normal in Sicily, which in itself is a revolution in these parts. In any case, the forecasts so far suggest it will be a good year in Sicily. According to winemaker Giacomo Alberto Manzo, "expected quantities should hover around 2022 levels, with an estimated production of around 3.5 million hectoliters of wine and a total harvest of 4.7-5 million quintals of grapes." This is a solid point, as Sicilian producers are aiming to recover the production lost last year and in 2023, years in which the decline was significantly due to drought and downy mildew. In short, many say that in Sicily there is no problem with excess wine in the cellars.

Thus, a relatively quiet season is the right opportunity for a sector worth at least half a billion to rethink its model, to put some pieces of a puzzle that is constantly evolving, especially in light of US tariffs. Discussions have already begun on several fronts, and protection consortia and companies have launched their strategies, all rooted in a great entrepreneurial tradition. Starting from a factor that is, first and foremost, cultural.

Roberto Magnisi, director of Cantine Duca di Salaparuta-Vini Corvo-Florio (part of the Ilva di Saronno group), emphasizes this. He has recently launched a series of initiatives linking wine to the region and art: "Sicily is a large land, and every company is trying to showcase its territories," he says. "We're increasingly trying to showcase the unique. The Sicilia DOC is the big umbrella, and this gives the Consortiums a huge responsibility to protect the supply chain's narrative. Today, we need to showcase the diversity of this land, and brands must do it, but so must the consortiums." Duca di Salaparuta, for example, does so through art; Vini Corvo, with its target audience, appeals to a different consumer by sponsoring Palermo football club. "We need to think about culture," Magnisi explains. "With Corvo, we're trying to communicate a new way of consuming wine, taking into account different identities. For example, with Corvo, I would make a low-alcohol wine; with Duca di Salaparuta, I would never do that. And then: this debate on the consumer crisis needs to be properly understood, because to me it seems more like a crisis in large-scale retail trade and not in quality. Quality Italian wine is doing well. And as for young people: we need to know how to tell them a story, make them understand its value, and return to culture, in fact." And bringing everyone back to history and the local area is an initiative launched at the end of July, combining wine, sustainable mobility, and cultural heritage in a single experience. Thanks to an integrated train/free shuttle system, active until Saturday, August 30, 2025, travelers arriving from Palermo, Cefalù, and other tourist centers on the coast will be able to reach the Duca di Salaparuta Winery: inside the cellars, visitors are welcomed by a multisensory experience that combines architecture, production history, and permanent artistic installations, such as "Poliedrica" ​​by Arrigo Musti, a symbolic work that interprets the territory.

There is great awareness of the issues Roberto Magnisi discusses, both in terms of market relations and the potential for development through wine tourism. A group of Americans recently visited Sicilian wineries, highlighting the importance of "authentic Sicily," which adds value to an already high-quality product. "We must increasingly focus on enhancing our territories and their uniqueness, promoting the wine-territory relationship and native varieties," says Mariangela Cambria, president of Assovini. "Our vision is clear: exploration and diversification of new markets like Asia and South America; wine tourism as a lever for promoting wine and its territories; territorial marketing in synergy with various stakeholders; communication aimed at young people; research and experimentation projects to address the challenges of climate change and the use of artificial intelligence in the wine sector; support for the promotion and valorization of little-known native varieties and relic grape varieties; and the definition of wine in a broader cultural context."

The regional Department of Agriculture is aware of this: "The key," says Councilor Salvatore Barbagallo, "is opening up to new markets, and we're working on several levels to bring our wines to untapped areas. This includes supporting participation in trade fairs, of course, but also encouraging incoming buyers to come to us and experience the experience here in Sicily. And then, of course, there's wine tourism, which we believe is strategic. This is in addition to supporting the sector with the CMO wine and other measures." The director of the DOC Wine Consortium, Camillo Pugliesi, explains the producers' strategy: "Our goal is to make Sicilia DOC wines the kind of wines everyone wants to drink and taste, because they are pleasant, captivating, and elegant. Market recognition: Grillo, Lucido, and Nero d'Avola have everything it takes to establish themselves as key players in the international wine scene. To do this, we work in synergy with producers, organizations, and institutions to promote effective communication about these native grape varieties." One of these is Frappato, which has been a key player in the Ragusa area but is also spreading to other production areas: "It's a more elegant variety that dispels the myth of full-bodied wine in Sicily," says Arianna Occhipinti, who has just launched a new hospitality project at her winery called Chaza, which means "square" in Sicilian. "Twenty years ago, we joined hands with Frappato. I needed its elegance, its story to tell, its beauty and layering, its oenological potential to become what I am today, and Frappato, ultimately, needed me."