'Sicilia en Primeur' 2006
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"A memorable vintage, the best in the last 20 years!" This is what the over 100 trade journalists and international experts, who met in the Sicilian capital city of Palermo for the third annual '
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| Teatro Massimo, Palermo | ||
Photographs: Melchiorre di Maria |
Lucio Tasca D'Almerita, president of Assovini Sicilia, opened the works noting that 'Sicilia en Primeur' in short time has become the most important event of its kind in Italy. He pointed out that the goal of the meeting was to offer international experts the opportunity to evaluate en primeur the new vintage from one of the most respected, among the up-and-coming wine regions of Italy. This event is "a success" said Tasca D'Almerita, "and the 2005 harvest will make it even bigger: in fact, this is an extraordinary vintage, the best in the last 20 years."
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Once more, 'Sicilia en Primeur' had the backing of Banca Nuova bank, and was sponsored by ICE (Italian Foreign Trade Institute), Milano Fiere (Milan Trade Show) and the Sicilian Agriculture, Culture and Tourism Assessorati (local authorities). This is further evidence of the importance given by the local administration to vitiviniculture, as well as of the strategic relationship between enogastronomy, traditions, culture, environment and history.
According to Martino Breganze, president of Banca Nuova, 'Sicilia en Primeur' represents a winning bet. "Three years ago – said Breganze – we believed in, and backed, this initiative, well aware of the existence of other kinds of events related to the (wine) sector. Since then, in addition to establishing itself, the event has seen the number of (participating) producers, trade journalists and experts coming from all over the world grow exponentially.'Sicilia en Primeur' gives a picture of what Sicily can offer from the perspective of this great product: wine."
Piergiacomo Ferrari, director of the Milano Fiere, focused on the need for associations and regional administrations to collaborate in order to achieve success for the wine industry. "We consolidated a particularly deep relationship with Sicily for what relates to wine – said the director – When two years ago we launched MiWine, the first true (wine) business trade show, Sicily backed our initiative by participating with a large number of producers who presented an array of great quality products."
The role of the sponsors of this event is more than just making it possible by picking up the bills, said Franco Pisa of Assovini Sicilia. They must underwrite the importance of working as a team, developing a strategy shared by public and private organizations, working toward the economic and social development of the island."
The vision of a unique thread line which involves all the actors of the wine sector is at the base of regional Agriculture Council philosophy. Giuseppe Bursi, head of said council, said that a global vision of the wine industry is mandatory, especially taking into consideration that it represents an important part of the regional economy. Vitiviniculture accounts for €600 million yearly, or 20% of the island's PIL, and the export increased 60% over the previous 12 months, reaching about €81 million. These results though, clash with the part of the wine making industry represented by the regional cooperatives, showing that there are two enological Sicilys which move forward at different speed.
"The results achieved in these recent years – reiterated Bursi – are the fruits of a strategy whose main objective was the updating of the vine and wine industry, in order to establish controls and realize interventions as needed. The planning included reorganization and conversion of vineyards, reorganization of both the private wineries and cooperatives, research and selection of clones to improve the quality of the wines produced with native vines, and the institution of 11 wine roads. In order to truly improve production across the board it's necessary to concentrate the efforts toward the cooperatives, helping their wineries produce more effectively and deliver higher quality wines."
The overall results of the 2005 vintage were explained by Attilio Scienza, professor of vitiviniculture at the Università Statale di Milano (Milan State University).
According to Professor Scienza, the 2005 growing season was out of the norm. The abundant rainfall, the alternation of cool nights and warm days, which were never too hot, positively affected the growth and production cycle of the vines. He said that the result will be wines which, even if they did not show their best en primeur, have an enormous potential for developing aromas once bottled. In particular, the white native grapes, such as Catarratto, Inzolia, Grecanico, etc., show the right amount of sugar and excellent acidity, which guarantee the persistence of extraordinary perfumes and aromas through time. Exceptional were the wines made with the Grillo grape. The international grape varieties gave good results as well, especially the Chardonnay. Among the reds, both the native varieties, such as Nero d'Avola, Nerello and Frappato, among others, as well as the international ones, among which are Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet, reached a good degree of ripeness, guaranteeing the right amount of sugar, as well as defining the polyphenols and antocians, which provide deeper perfumes and sensations.
"The 2005 vintage – reiterated Scienza – will be remembered as an exceptional year, in many ways similar to the 2002 vintage. The positive results obtained with the native vines demonstrate how the decision by the region to promote the varietal heritage as a cultural legacy, more than just an agricultural one, was a winning bet. Now it's the time to re-create a cultural environment around these vines to emphasize them."
"Wine guides and trade magazines – said again Scienza – are transforming consumers into amateur wine chemists. Sicily must join the bandwagon and, through education and communication, drive consumers to understand and catch the soul and spirit which characterize this product."
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