How the single DOC changed the face of Sicilian viticulture
The operation has made the Sicily 'brand' a driving force for the relaunch of the sector, now known and appreciated throughout the world but once dominated by low-profitability bulk wine
3' min read
3' min read
Once upon a time, there was bulk wine. Two major operations have changed, for the better, the face (and business) of Sicilian wine-growing. The first is Sicily DOC, a unique denomination for the Region that groups together 11 thousand hectares of vineyards with more than 3 thousand producers and 90 million bottles produced, which started in 2012 with the foundation of the Consortium. An operation that has made the Sicily 'brand', known throughout the world, a driving force for the relaunch of the sector. The other operation is Doc Etna with 6 million bottles produced on 1,200 hectares of vineyards and a turnover of oil 40% realised abroad. With an eye on the expansion of wine tourism, which is growing rapidly in the region.
According to data from the observatory on the competitiveness of the Wine Regions, produced by Nomisma Wine Monitor in collaboration with UniCredit and presented in recent weeks in Palermo, in 2024 exports of Sicilian PDO whites will grow by a further 8.9%, after the +7.8% in value recorded in 2023. In the opposite direction, Sicilian PDO reds have gone down in exports for two years in a row (-4.5% in 2023, -2.9% in 2024).
Focusing on the top 10 destination markets, for Sicilian PDO whites exports 2024 grew by 37% in the United Kingdom, 34% in Russia, 12% in Germany and 11% in both Canada and the USA. For Sicilian PDO reds, although in a context of overall decline, there was growth in Canada (+22%), Russia (+17%), the Netherlands (+8%) and the USA (+6%).
And it was precisely in the United States that a consumer survey was conducted by Nomisma on the occasion of the third Wine Monitor-Unicredit report on the competitiveness of the Wine Regions among almost 2,000 wine consumers located in the three major consumer states, namely New York, California and Florida. Among the main themes investigated by the survey, changes in taste preferences emerged, with American consumers today paying more attention to quality wines (33% of consumers expressed this view), seeking out wines from different regions and territories (28%) but also paying more attention to health, for example by purchasing lighter red wines with lower alcohol content. Without neglecting the 'green' aspects that are particularly appreciated by younger consumers. In this context, where 65% of the population of the three States analysed declared that they had consumed wine in the last year, 7 out of 10 oriented their consumption preference towards an Italian wine.
Sicily is among the Italian regions best known and most visited by Americans, as well as most appreciated for the wines it produces. Only 14% of consumers interviewed say they have never heard of Sicily, the lowest percentage together with that for Tuscany among all Italian regions. Again Sicily, together with Tuscany, is indicated by Americans as the Italian region producing the highest quality wines, so much so that 6 out of 10 claim to know at least one Sicilian wine and 2 out of 10 to have also consumed it. Compared to the latter, the percentage of consumers of Sicilian wines increases among those who have visited Italy in the last five years, appreciate Italian cuisine, are millennials (29-44 years old), wine lovers (good wine connoisseurs) and have a high annual income (over $100,000).
