Sicilia en Primeur 2023 and to the UniCredit-Nomisma study on the wine sector.

The 2023 edition of Sicilia en Primeur, scheduled in Taormina and Radicepura from 9 to 13 May, was presented.

Sicily confirms itself as a strategic region in the wine sector. This is one of the data that emerges from the UniCredit-Nomisma study "The assets that create value for the Italian wine supply chain: markets, territories, companies", presented today in Palermo.
Today, Italian wine exports are mainly concentrated on the European and North American markets, while Asia is still marginal, albeit growing. The same is true proportionally for Sicily : the 5 most significant markets are in fact Germany, the United States, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Belgium. Particularly noteworthy is the growth between 2021 and 2022 of Sicilian exports to the United States (28%) and Switzerland (24%). However, it should be specified that the Istat export data take into account the place of shipment abroad, therefore the quantities of Sicilian wine that do not leave directly from Sicily for abroad, but leave from ports located in other regions to which these product volumes are calculated as wine exports. For which it is estimated that in reality the foreign trade of Sicilian wines and musts is higher than the official Istat data.

In the last 10 years, Italy has redeveloped its exported wine portfolio, reducing the bulk wine component (from 31% to 19%), compensating with the increase in sparkling wines; this has rewarded in terms of average export price (from 2.22 euro/litre to 3.60 euro/litre).
If we look at the PDOs, however, the difference with France is still too marked: the weight of PDO wines on total bottled exports (69%) is still significantly lower than in France (84%), with average export prices here too clearly lower: from Burgundy whites priced on average at €16/litre, to Trentino Alto Adige and Friuli VG whites sold at €5.17/litre and Sicilian whites priced at €3.76/litre. Even the Reds of Sicily are quite in line with the Whites, with an average price per liter of €3.56.

The average export price of Italian DOP wines has grown by 22.8% in the last decade, with an excellent performance by Sicilian Whites with 30.6%, thanks to an important focus on quality (In Sicily today there are 24 DOP wines have been recognised, of which 1 DOCG and 23 DOC, and 7 IGT wines), on product segmentation/differentiation, on the development of multi-channel strategies, on greater market presence.

Sicily still has a lot of room for improvement regarding the positioning of DOP (still) wines in the large-scale distribution: the sales of the Sicilian product weigh approx. 4% of the total sales of large-scale Italian retailers but holds the average selling price well, well above the Italian average (€5.01/0.75l bottle vs €4.20 in Italy).
With regard to generic wines, in Sicily , as in many other southern regions, the share of this product is still very significant (approx. 24% of the regional total production vs. 16% on average in Italy) but in any case in significant reduction in the last decade (-9 pp).
Sicily is the third region (with 31% vs 19% Italy) with reference to the incidence of BIO wine cultivation on the total regional vineyard area, even if with lower growth margins from 2011 to 2021 compared to other regions (97% vs 138% at the Italian level).

Sicily is in the top 5 wine regions in Italy for average profitability of joint-stock companies.
On the world of social networks, Sicilian wineries have a good position, which can certainly be improved: each has on average approx. 16.4 thousand followers, covering approx. 10.3% of the national total.
Sicily is in 4th place in Italy for acquisitions in the wine sector (8% of the total number in the period 2016-2022); with reference to the target denomination, Etna is the great protagonist, in 4th place in Italy, and above denominations such as Chianti Classico, Valpolicella and Barbera d'Asti.

On the occasion of today's meeting, the 2023 edition of Sicilia en Primeur was presented, the annual preview of Sicilian wines organized by Assovini Sicilia, scheduled in Taormina and Radicepura from 9 to 13 May.
There will be over eighty Italian and foreign journalists who will participate in the event; to these must be added the presence of Masters of Wine and industry professionals who will guide the scheduled technical seminars. The event, conceived and organized by Assovini Sicilia since 2004, is confirmed as the most important event for Sicilian wine.
The theme of Sicilia en Primeur 2023 is dedicated to wine as a complex cultural factor, to wine tourism in its many forms but above all to the role of Assovini Sicilia members as guardians of culture and territory, and to wine as an ambassador of Sicilian tourism.

“ The Nomisma study - underlined Salvatore Malandrino , Head of the Sicily Region of UniCredit Italia - confirms the image of the Sicilian wine sector as a sector of excellence not only for the regional economy, but also at a national level. UniCredit is strongly committed to offering Sicilian wineries real solutions to respond to every need along the entire production chain and to support them in their path of growth and innovation. With our international network we are able to accompany wineries abroad, help them strengthen their business and enter new emerging markets by searching for counterparts. UniCredit also supports companies in the sector with a range of loans dedicated to supporting their transition from a green perspective and through training programs and concrete actions along the entire supply chain ”.

The pay-off chosen by Assovini Sicilia for the 19th edition of Sicilia en Primeur is Ambassadors and custodians of culture and territories , underlining the role of the association in being the spokesperson for the knowledge of a territory through wines and its producers, as promoters of quality , of scenic beauty, of the uniqueness of the historical-archaeological heritage of Sicily.
“Sicily has all the credentials to become a wine destination of excellence - comments Laurent Bernard de la Gatinais , President of Assovini Sicilia. And today, Assovini members have the double merit of traveling the world to make the Sicily brand known and to promote the territory and culture through the experience of Sicilian hospitality in their companies. Behind every wine there is always a great story to discover and tell”.