According to president Agueci,  pointing  on young people and communication we can help Sicilian wine, that it has been going through one of the most severe crises of the last few years. “At the end of the 1990s companies were managed by young entrepreneurs who believed in working and giving their contribution to the success of their product in the world”, said Agueci. “But the international crisis slowed down this process, now some of those young people have lost hope, so we must give them new input”. “This is why the Irvv leads Providi, an example of governance between the Irvv and the companies. Providi doesn’t want to compete with other associations, but only support small cellars which alone wouldn’t be able to promote themselves in Italy and abroad”.  

Amongst the ideas that will be put in place and announced through these new channels, there is the participation in the projects of the Ocm vino and the Plan of rural development. “We want to focus on promotion abroad”, explained Agueci, “together with Ocm we are presenting some projects and focusing on specific countries, according to the needs of producers”. “Our aims are Canada and the Usa with particular attention to Florida, but also Korea and Japan, while less attention will be given to China and India”.

 Numbers published by Coldiretti confirm that the export of Italian wine to the Usa has increased by 12.5%. “A record”, said Agueci, “that can have an important role”. “Through our promotion channels we want to help companies that would never be able to penetrate certain markets. And we are leaving aside bigger chains, focusing on wine-shops and restaurants”.  

But not only all this. “We would like to allow small producers, that have been damaged by the economic crisis more than others, to take part in international seminars and enter the online selling market. But these projects must be supported by specific action, in order to obtain positive results”.  
 Finally, speaking about the harvest, Agueci explained: “The first data we have obtained tells us of an early harvest of Catarratto and Grillo, probably due to the great request of this product for spumante. So the entrepreneur loses the added value of wine. But not only. The productive aim is also changing, in fact it is no longer quality but market, since you do not allow native vines to reach the right level of maturity that give unique scents and flavours”. Finally, Agueci ended: “Maybe, considering what’s happening in Sicily, before pointing on green harvest, we must  think about the situation a bit longer”.

Translated by Chiara Nunnari from John Milton Institute