Assovini Sicilia entrusts the new wine cycle to young people
Gabriella Favara, aged under 30, takes over from Mariangela Cambria. The new board, comprising members aged under 40, includes the heirs of Sicily’s historic wine-producing families and up-and-coming producers
Assovini Sicilia is entrusting the younger generation with the task of leading a new era for the island’s wine industry. Gabriella Favara is the new president of the association, which brings together one hundred Sicilian wineries, and takes over from Mariangela Cambria. A native of Marsala, under 30 and International Marketing Manager at Donnafugata, Favara was appointed by the new board of directors at its meeting on Monday 6 July.
This change marks a generational handover at the helm of the association, whilst maintaining strong continuity with the entrepreneurial history of Sicilian wine. Gabriella Favara is, in fact, the daughter of José Rallo and the granddaughter of Antonio Rallo (Donnafugata), members of one of the families that have played a key role in the sector’s growth and international success. Having joined the company four years ago, following a degree in Business Studies and a Master’s in Business Management at Oxford, she gained experience in trade marketing before returning to Sicily to oversee Donnafugata’s international markets.
“It’s a great honour for me to take on this role and to be able to share this journey with my teammates at Generazione Next. It’s a very powerful idea to be able to continue to breathe life and energy into this organisation, all together, with a young voice that is eager for change and innovation,” comments Favara.
The new board of directors is made up entirely of members under 40 from the Generazione Next group. Its members include Pietro Pollara, vice-chairman; Graziano Nicosia of Tenute Nicosia; Costante Planeta; Alessandro Tasca of Tasca d’Almerita; Cristina Madaudo of Camporè; Enrica Spadafora of Principi di Spadafora, Pierfilippo Marchello of Cantine Pellegrino and Totò Navarra of Tenute Navarra.
The new leadership team therefore brings together the younger generations of the families who have built some of Sicily’s leading wine brands – from Planeta to Tasca d’Almerita, and from Pellegrino to Donnafugata – alongside representatives from more recent enterprises, such as Tenute Navarra. This team is tasked with balancing brand identity, overseas markets, changing consumer trends and the ability to capitalise on new opportunities.
