Regional Institute of Wine and Oil

The G7 Siracusa for IRVO opens with the conference “Spumanti di Sicilia” led by the oenologist Gianni Giardina

Until a few decades ago, when people thought of sparkling wines, they thought almost exclusively of Nordic or transalpine products, such as champagne. In Sicily, sparkling wine is now a consolidated reality thanks to companies that produce excellent sparkling wines, both Charmat Method and Classic Method. Hence the first conference entitled “Sparkling wines from Sicily” which inaugurated the presence of IRVO at the G7 in Syracuse dedicated to agriculture and which was led by the oenologist Gianni Giardina.

"It is the right time to valorise our vines because they are vines that if harvested early with a certain acidity and planned with technology, can give excellent results. The Regional Wine Institute of Sicily is undertaking a research path to valorise our vines, the native ones". He explainedoenologist Giardina which listed those that represent a good and consistent part of the Sicilian heritage, the Nerello Mascalese, of the lands of Etna, the Loading, in the most central area the Nero d'Avola, The Frappato, The Cricket and the Catarratto.

During the day of September 23rd with the oenologist Giardina there was the opportunity to taste, in fact, products from all over Sicily in a real journey to discover the territory: starting from Etna, a trending area, where sparkling wines are produced with Nerello Mascalese, the main grape variety of the territory. Among the other sparkling wines, also some from the Sicilian hinterland, the Vallelunga area. Giardina underlined the importance of recovering Catarratto, a grape variety abandoned in the past and rediscovered with excellent results.

Also on tasting are wines from the province of Syracuse: above all Frappato, a red grape variety vinified as a rosé, in trend with the moment; and Grillo, the leading white grape variety that is also giving excellent results in the sparkling type.

IRVO is working to systematize this type of product, which is well positioned in national and international competitions, as are the sparkling wines which are very successful and “also liked by the most refined and demanding consumers”.

All the products presented by the oenologist Giardina on the occasion of the first IRVO appointment at the G7 in Syracuse have the Mediterranean as a common donor. “They are products with very captivating aromas, an explosion of flavours: they have unique colours, very special, that only the land of Sicily can give”.

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