Sicilia en Primeur 2025: at Castello di Modica four talks on the world of wine

Four Talks on the world of wine. Four moments of discussion and analysis on current issues concerning the sector. This is how the first day of Sicilia en Primeur opened, the wine festival organized by Assovini Sicilia that every year attracts journalists from all over the world to the island. At the Castello dei Conti di Modica , Vincenzo Russo, full professor of Consumer Psychology and Neuromarketing and coordinator of the Neuromarketing Research Center "Behavior and Brain Lab" at the IULM University of Milan, began, leading a talk on "The secrets of the brain for the wine experience". Starting with an experimental tasting that involved the journalists present, Vincenzo Russo guided the participants on a fascinating journey "inside the brain", to discover how to enhance some perceptive processes and improve food and wine experiences. "Can the flavor of a wine be modified by perceptive aspects that have nothing to do with the product itself? Certainly yes", explained Russo during the talk. “A lot of research has been conducted in this area: from the effect of the colors of the products to the lights of a place, from the music of the tasting place to the way of presenting a dish. These are elements that are only apparently secondary. In reality, these aspects can modify or reinforce certain taste sensations”. “The real problem for those who do market research in the world of wine – Russo continued – is that, as David Ogylvi said in 1963, 'consumers do not think what they feel, do not say what they think and do not do what they say... ' A beautiful phrase that makes us understand how research carried out with traditional tools, such as questionnaires and interviews, does not always manage to tell us the truth about what works from a marketing point of view. Neuromarketing techniques today offer us very powerful tools to be able to have precise indications of the persuasive effectiveness of a message or a label. Furthermore, knowledge of the brain allows us to create increasingly persuasive and effective messages”. This was followed by a talk organized by the Next Generation of Assovini Sicilia, the association's under-40 group. Dynamic young people, often with studies and experience outside of Sicily, with a background in various fields, from marketing to architecture, from economics to oenology, who share a passion, a family and business history linked to wine, and the desire to bring new contributions, the fruit of their educational experiences. The focus of the talk, which saw the participation of Francesco Saverio Russo , wine popularizer and trainer, and Emanuele Gobbi, critic and writer, was " Digital communication, between opportunities and risks, and the values of wine to be communicated to new generations" . In particular, Francesco Saverio Russo focused on the tools to combat fake influencers and pseudo-marketers, and on how to recognize deceptive marketing practices and adopt strategies to promote the brand and wines in a transparent, authentic and modern way. "Talking to the new generations about the potential and risks of today's communication is essential - said Francesco Saverio Russo - even more so in a moment like the one we are experiencing, in which semantic exploitation and misleading proclamations are the order of the day. I am firmly convinced that young Sicilian producers will be able to translate this prevailing negativity into an opportunity, sweeping away confusion and fears thanks to their growing awareness." "In communicating the values of wine to the new generations, are authenticity and passion sufficient as promotional levers, as well as sustainability and identity as distinctive elements?" This is the question that Emanuele Gobbi , author and writer expert in wine, started from, underlining the importance of creating engaging content using digital channels and the importance of organizing events and activities in the cellar for young consumers that combine education, experience and passion for wine. The third talk turned the spotlight on Assovini Sicilia . The president Mariangela Cambria told the story of the association, which has already charted its course for the future by focusing on wine tourism, sustainability and new generations. Starting from the data of a report commissioned in 2024 by the University of Messina, Cambria presented an updated snapshot of the association. From the survey conducted by the University, to which 80 producers (of the 101 members) responded, it emerged that the member companies are predominantly agricultural and family-run. Of these, 78% have already integrated a new generation under 40 into the management , thus revealing a strong propensity of Sicilian producers to give space to new talents capable of providing innovative contributions in step with the times. Furthermore, for these companies, sustainability is not just a value, but a strategy to compete globally, preserving the territory and responding to the growing expectations of consumers. It is no coincidence that 76% of the companies already have an organic certification , while 56.5% have an environmental certification . Assovini Sicilia members are also investing heavily in wine tourism, which represents one of the most authentic expressions of the union between passion for wine and discovery of the territory. 84.8% of companies have already implemented wine tourism services , diversifying the offer and combining wine with art, music, archaeology, wellness. The wine context thus becomes the ideal container for talking about culture, gastronomy, artistic heritage. “Wine tourism is not just an extraordinary opportunity to sell wine - Cambria emphasized - it is much more, because it offers those who come to visit us a complete experience with great cultural value. Furthermore, we are experiencing a particularly favorable historical moment: Sicily, in fact, has been named European Region of Gastronomy 2025, Agrigento Italian Capital of Culture 2025 and Gibellina Capital of Contemporary Art 2026. It is a destination that is increasingly popular and, in a delicate phase such as the one the world of wine is experiencing, wine tourism will be the real keystone. The signals for the season that has just begun are very positive and this pushes us to look to the future with confidence”. “Protection and promotion of DO and IG productions and the role of the new State labels ” was discussed in the fourth talk with Arianna Rossetti , Head of Relations with the Association Bodies of the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato, and with Felice Assenza, Head of the ICQRF Department - Central Inspectorate for Quality and Fraud Repression of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests. The new State label with the tricolour flag will allow immediate identification of Made in Italy productions, protecting Italian DOCG and DOC wines more efficiently. Thanks to security techniques, similar to those found on banknotes, and a QRCODE, everyone will be able to access the product traceability and anti-counterfeiting data, through a secure platform, developed and managed by the Istituto Poligrafico, which contains the information transmitted by each of the actors in the supply chain (Certification Bodies, Protection Consortia and Companies). “The State labels, developed by Poligrafico with anti-counterfeiting technologies – explained Felice Assenza – are verified in the field by ICQRF inspectors using UV lamps supplied by Poligrafico itself, thus strengthening controls on the origin of wines. This synergy between technological innovation and public control guarantees transparency in the supply chain and consumer protection. Our commitment to enhance and protect the Italian wine heritage, also at an international level, will continue”. Antonio Rallo - President of the Consortium for the Protection of Doc Sicilia wines, spoke at the talk, bringing the point of view of the producers. “This tool translates into a concrete opportunity to strengthen the link between wine, territory and producer. In fact, the QR code, in addition to guaranteeing the consumer, allows immediate access to a digital platform that describes the characteristics of the territory of origin and the tourist experiences associated with it. It is a strategic lever to promote the food and wine and landscape heritage of Sicily, stimulating visits to the territory and increasing the visibility of our excellence on international markets”.