On April 8, within the institutional area of the Sicily Region (Pavilion 2, 3.15 pm - 4.00 pm ) at Vinitaly 2025, the SOStain Sicilia Foundation and the Consortium for the Protection of Sicilian DOC Wines promoted the conference “Sustainability: the island that exists” .
An opportunity to tell, in the heart of the most important Italian wine fair, a shared and structured commitment towards a more aware, sustainable and measurable viticulture, which today represents one of the distinctive traits of the Sicilian sector.
“Fondazione SOStain Sicilia was born from the desire to build a shared and concrete model of sustainability in winemaking, capable of evolving together with the needs of businesses, the market and the planet – said Alessio Planeta, member of the Board of Directors of Fondazione SOStain Sicilia –. This conference, promoted together with the Consorzio di Tutela Vini DOC Sicilia, represented an important moment of discussion and communication, in which to tell what has been done and what, together, we still want to achieve to make Sicily an authoritative reference also in the green field”.
During the conference, the results and new projects that strengthen the sustainable model of Sicilian viticulture were presented. Starting from phase 2 of the “100% Sicilia Bottle” project, created in collaboration with OI, which provides for a further lightening of the bottle , from 410 to 360 grams, to reduce its environmental footprint. A concrete evolution, which combines innovation, functionality and environmental responsibility.
Among the topics at the center of the discussion was also the repopulation of the Sicilian Black Bee in the estates of SOStain certified companies, promoted together with the Italian Beekeepers Federation: an initiative that recognizes certified vineyards as ideal environments for the protection of biodiversity and a key species for the ecosystem. Alongside these initiatives, the partnership with Amorim Cork Italia for the recycling of cork stoppers was illustrated - through the Ethical Project - and the collaboration with PlasticFree ODV, engaged in awareness-raising activities against plastic pollution.
“DOC Sicilia is a denomination that is growing in sustainability, not only in numbers but in the awareness and responsibility of the companies that represent it – said Filippo Paladino, Vice President of the Consorzio di Tutela Vini DOC Sicilia –. This event was an opportunity to tell a concrete path, which sees us as protagonists together with the SOStain Foundation, in the dialogue with the scientific and entrepreneurial world and with the associations committed to protecting the environment. During my speech I shared with the guests present the results achieved and the future objectives for the development of the sector, increasingly committed to sustainability”.
Leading figures in national and international sustainability took turns to talk with Filippo Paladino and Alessio Planeta. Lucrezia Lamastra , professor at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and coordinator of the Technical Scientific Committee of the SOStain Foundation, discussed the positioning of the Sicilian protocol in an increasingly competitive context, highlighting the recognition obtained by Scandinavian monopolies in a comparative study between global standards. Ernesto Ghigna , Marketing Director Europe for the wine segment of OI, talked about the evolution of the SOStain bottle. Raffaele Cirone , president of the Italian Beekeepers Federation, spoke about the value of the Sicilian black bee in certified vineyards. Carlos Manuel Veloso dos Santos , CEO of Amorim Cork Italia, presented the results achieved thanks to the ethical project for the recycling of corks.
The debate was moderated by Alessandra Dal Monte , a journalist for Cook – Corriere della Sera , who led the choral account of an experience that connects business, science and the environment.
With this event, the SOStain Sicilia Foundation and the Consorzio di Tutela Vini DOC Sicilia consolidate a common vision: to build a winemaking future that is rooted in responsibility, transparency and the value of relationships between territories, people and nature.
