OBJECTIVE REGION, AT A NATIONAL LEVEL, IN THE PRODUCTION OF QUALITY WINES, THROUGH THE AWARDS RECEIVED BY INFLUENTIAL WINE GUIDES

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1 Sicily in its history has always had a very strong link with wine Stefania CHIRONI, Marzia INGRASSIA, Simona BACARELLA, Luca ALTAMORE, University of Palermo, ITALY ESTIMATION OF THE ROLE OF SICILY REGION, AT A NATIONAL LEVEL, IN THE PRODUCTION OF QUALITY WINES, THROUGH THE AWARDS RECEIVED BY INFLUENTIAL WINE GUIDES 16 COLMAR XXIII ENOMETRICS CONFERENCE The different cultures that have followed over the centuries, have left something, in the culture of wine industry in Sicily, that made sure that the region would become, eventually, the largest producer of wine at a national level Improvements in techniques cultivation and the introduction of new varieties are attributed to the Greeks; to the Romans go the first studies on territoriality and diffusion the Sicilian across ancient Europe; to Arabs the introduction of drying techniques and the production of sweet / dessert. In a recent past, Sicilian have been used, mostly, for their high alcohol content and their oxidation, which have made them for a long time, scarcely drinkable and more suitable for blending. Today, due to the modernization of the winemaking facilities, to the changes in techniques of vine cultivation and in the cultivars, also to the introduction of non-native grape varieties, which are well adapted to the soil characteristics and to the environmental characteristics of the region, to the large investments implemented also by foreigners on our land, the situation in wine production in Sicily is completely changed. Today Sicily is one of the leader regions of Italian wine production, able to compete with all the other regions and, has always been considered, the pearls in the production of quality Today Sicily is a land which produces with a strong emotional charge, which, is witnessed, in the annually guides of sector wine, who have the task of selecting and rewarding the excellence of the national wine production. OBJECTIVE The objective is to measure the quality level of Sicilian wine productions through the study of the prizes assigned by the most important domestic wine guides, ( Bibenda, L'Espresso, Gambero Rosso, Luca Maroni, Slow Wine and Veronelli (wine vintages 14 and 15), These results highlight the role of weight that today the region has taken in the national wine market.

2 At a national level, 6 are the major sector wine guides, that annually, reward the best companies and the best. THE SECTOR GUIDES These guides give their assessments of excellence to the, the bottles, the companies, the winemakers, indicating in some cases, the strengths and weaknesses of various, the best quality / price ratio, and all necessary to wine knowledge; the producers, and an education in the varied world of Italian winemaking. BIBENDA GAMBERO ROSSO L ESPRESSO In addition, these guides are also enriched by the reviews of the best restaurants, becoming the only tool in Italy which is the choice of wine tourism. LUCA MARONI SLOW WINE LUIGI VERONELLI They represent the only guides which list the Italian food and wine. THE SECTOR GUIDES AND DIFFERENT EVALUATION METHODS THE RESULTS The comparison among the guides for the wine vintage 14 and 15 shows that in 14, 57 Sicilian companies have been rewarded in the guides, for a total of 85 ; In 15, a decrease the number of companies (51), but an, increase the number of award-winning, ( increased to 11). Guides Evaluation methods Scores evaluation Bibenda 5 bunch of grapes from 91 to 1/1 L Espresso 5 bottles from 18 to / Number of companies and number of selected in the guides sector Gambero Rosso 3 wineglass 1 Luca Maroni - fruits >84/1 1 Slow Wine bottles snails Veronelli Super 3 stars >92/ companies 14 15

3 It's Espresso guide which awarded the largest number of regional for wine vintage 15, 27 companies with 28, of which 19 red and 9 white. Number of Sicilian present in the guides Red are the most awarded Followed by.. 3 Veronelli guide with for 17 companies; Bibenda whith 22 for 19 companies. Gambero Rosso awards 19 for many as 19 companies; 15 Luca Maroni rewards 9 for 9 companies Finally. Slow Wine Guide with 7 for 7 companies. Only Slow wine guide has decreased the number of awarded between 14 and Bibenda Gambero rosso Veronelli Slow wine L'esperesso Luca Maroni Number of by color white variety red variety The selected are blend of native with non native grapes, and especially, this occurs for red for native grapes Worth of mention is the presence, of sweet or fortified, in the guides sector, such as Marsala wine, Passito wine or Zibibbo wine, obtained exclusively from native grapes. There are, in particular, two important companies that are present in the guides for the production of these sweet If we consider the constancy of the producers in the qualitative research of the product, the data recorded, for three consecutive years, by the guides, show, that in Sicily there are 7 producers of judged excellent for the vintage between 13 and 15. In fact, for a total of 121 producers awarded at a national level, the region ranks fifth place, behind only the major national wine regions, thus confirming the role of weight that Sicily has conquered in recent years, thanks to the actions of variety grapes renewal and quality of the product.

4 NUMBER OF PRODUCERS WHO HAVE RECEIVED PRIZES FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS We must also emphasize, that Sicily, during the three vintages, has decreased the number of deemed excellent. Regions N. Producers Abruzzo 6 Basilicata 1 Campania 6 Friuli Venezia Giulia 4 Lazio 1 Liguria 1 Lombardia 5 Marche 3 Piemonte 31 Puglia 1 Sardegna 3 Sicilia 7 Toscana 22 Trentino Alto Adige 15 Umbria 3 Valle D Aosta 1 Veneto 11 Totale 121 Abruzzo 5% Sicilia 6% Weight% of regions and producers that have achieved excellence in three consecutive years Lombardia 4% Campania 5% Veneto 9% Altre 15% Trentino Alto Adige 12% Piemonte 26% Toscana 18% Regions and that have received excellence for three consecutive years Piemonte Sicilia Toscana Trentino Alto Adige Veneto Excellent Wines 13 Excellent Wines 14 Excellent Wines 15 In all 6 guides, only 7 producers at national level have achieved excellence, and among these, however, no Sicilian producer and no Sicilian In Sicily, only 1 producer with 4 different is present in 5 out of 6 guides, and Number of Sicilian producers and number of that obtained the excellence of the total national (15) N. Producers at national level N. Producers in Sicily N. of Sicilian N. of guides 7 6 out of out of out of out of out of 6 Therefore, the best companies that have been awarded excellence for 15 are 1.153, which are on the increase (+49). In this year, in Sicily Donnafugata companies, remarkably won 4, becoming so the best national excellence. In total, the with excellence, in the same year, are for companies, which are also on the increase (+95). Excellent enteprises and wine selected in the guides at national level Enteprises excellent difference for 6 guides 7 7 for 5 guides for 4 guides for 3 guides for 2 guides for 1 guidas Total Wines excellent difference for 6 guides for 5 guides for 4 guides for 3 guides for 2 guides per 1 guides Total

5 CONCLUSION The role of weight that Sicily region has gained in recent years at a national level, is the confirmation that the action of renovation and quality of product, was appreciated by markets that want to always pursuit quality product and more attention to other innovative and communicative aspects for the product. Annually, the national wine guides are judges who rank the best companies and the best, representing the tool of communication and culture in the national wine world. Sicily, for the years considered (vintages wine 14 and 15) was covered an important role in the wine sector, competing at par, with the major nationally wine regions, and that is reflected on the international markets. It must be observed, a new feature for the region, that the largest number of awarded, are red, for a region which is traditionally produces white. In this years (14 and in 15), more than half at the white, have been substituted by red, confirming that the action of variety renewal, with the application of the wine CMO, has been successful, as dictated by market demand today (greater production for red ). The are mainly, Nero d'avola, today the great rediscovery by the market, and the other native grapes, Nerello Mascalese and Frappato. Thanks for your attention Moreover, worth of mention, are the productions of the islands of Pantelleria and the Aeolian archipelago, for the sweet and dessert, such as Malvasia of Lipari and Zibibbo or Muscat of Alexandria (among the white grape). Finally, companies like Donnafugata, Planeta, Tasca d'almerita, are names, that contribute to maintain high, the level of Sicilian wine, both at a national and an international market.