Generation Next receives DoctorWine's "Next Generation 2026" award.

Generazione Next, Assovini Sicilia's group of producers under 40, has won DoctorWine's "Next Generation 2026" Award. This recognition commends their commitment to advancing the association's values and renewing communication within the Sicilian wine world. The award, dedicated to "young people making their way in this world with skill, preparation, passion, and tenacity," was received on Saturday, October 4th in Milan, at the Hotel Principe di Savoia, during the presentation of DoctorWine's 2026 Essential Guide. Generazione Next, composed of twenty-six members—who work in their respective family businesses and in sectors such as export, marketing, wine tourism, production, and administration—was founded with the aim of promoting the Sicilian region and wine production, adopting a new and forward-looking language. The group, recently renewed with the election of Gabriella Favara as president, Enrica Spadafora as vice president, and a Board of Directors, focuses on key issues such as new forms of communication, engaging with Generation Z, internal training, and promoting the local area. The "Gusto DiVino 2025" Award, previously received by the group, was already a strong signal of the initiative's value, arriving at a time of growing disaffection among young people towards the world of wine and underscoring how Generation Next stands out for its clear and shared vision, capable of uniting young talent around core values such as collaboration, innovation, and responsibility. Doctor Wine's new "Next Generation 2026" Award further consolidates this path, recognizing the group's ongoing commitment. "One of our goals is to provide a clear understanding of the relationship between new generations and wine: it's not young people who should be asked to change, it's the world of wine that must learn to better communicate its values of authenticity. It's up to us to build bridges: a more accessible language, engaging experiences, and a consistent presence. We need communication capable of combining rigor and lightness, competence and immediacy, avoiding unnecessary technicalities and favoring stories, flavors, and pairings that speak the language of experience," commented Gabriella Favara, President of Generazione Next. Enrica Spadafora , Vice President of Generazione Next, added: "Receiving the Next Generation 2026 Award from Doctor Wine is a great thrill for us and validates the path we are building together. Assovini Sicilia's Generazione Next is a collaborative project, born of vision, passion, and the desire to get involved with an eye to the future. It also stems from the desire to continue Assovini's legacy of teamwork, developing projects and languages capable of engaging and increasingly bringing young people closer to the world of wine." The Generazione Next Manifesto focuses primarily on certain sectors: from management and hospitality to wine tourism and communications, emphasizing the group's role in the new debate surrounding the evolution of the winemaking world. Mariangela Cambria, president of Assovini Sicilia , emphasized the group's strategic importance: "In keeping with this continuity with the values of our association, Generazione Next is pursuing a project that follows the changes in our sector while sharing the values of past generations. The know-how and skills of the new generations are essential to our association, not only to maintain our objectives but above all to build a fruitful dialogue with the younger generations and inspire young people to experience and appreciate the culture of wine."