Regional Institute of Wine and Oil

The proposal by IRVO and Strade del Vino conquers everyone, Americans and Australians in the front row

Lucio Monte from IRVO on his experience in Spain at the Fine WIne Tourism Marketplace: «Sicily has the potential to become an excellent international wine tourism destination»

In March, Irvos accompanied six Sicilian Wine Routes to Valladolid, Spain, for the international event Fine Wine Tourism Marketplace. It was the first time ever to participate in an event of this caliber, an important step to promote Sicily as a wine tourism destination in a context different from the Italian one.

A precious opportunity for tourism, culture and wine to find a single exhibition space that would bring together the actors involved in the world of wine. Sicilian wine was not unprepared and, indeed, presented itself with an ambitious and long-term objective: to make its excellence known beyond national and European borders.

A new format also for the Etna Wine and Flavors Route, the Val di Mazara Wine and Flavors Route, the Noto Valley Wine and Flavors Route, the Marsala – Terre d'Ovest Wine Route, the Wine Route , of the Oil and Flavors of the Valley of the Temples and Strade del Vino Terre Sicane which in Spain presented their itineraries to buyers from all over the world.

Sicily today is in third place among the Italian regions for food and wine tourism, according to the Report on Italian Food and Wine Tourism 2023, but it is not as well known overseas, one more reason to focus on events such as the Fine Wine Tourism Marketplace in Valladolid which was a rewarding choice.

The agenda of the six Sicilian Wine Routes was full of commitments, because the proposed offer aroused great curiosity and interest on the part of overseas buyers present at the fair.

"It is the demonstration that we have in Sicily all the potential to position ourselves as an international wine tourism reference, the quality is not lacking" stated Lucio Monte of IRVO present at the event.

Joint participation was the key to Sicilian success at the Fine Wine Tourism Marketplace in Valladolid and also the beginning of a virtuous synergy between two local actors to tell Sicily from a new point of view.

Gaetano Aprile, director of Irvos: «It was a positive experience for Irvos and Strade del Vino. At Irvos we supported this participation with enthusiasm, reciprocated by the great interest in the itineraries proposed by the Wine Routes. Now we hope that these positive impressions will be transformed into reputational and economic benefits for the region."

Sicily was the first Italian region to become "European Gastronomy Region 2025“, a recognition assigned by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (Igcat) which places the island at the center of new tourist routes and participation in events such as the one in Valladolid are a push for growth, in comparison with evolving global scenarios for the world of wine.

Francesca Salvia, head of the organizational technical secretariat of the Irvos Control Body, explained that "in Italy there is great attention to wine and oil tourism", referring to ministerial and regional action to promote the territory.

There are, in fact, two decrees of 2019 which have established the guidelines and addresses regarding the requirements and minimum quality standards for the exercise of the wine tourism activity, "measures established with a view to making the territory grow in a direction of excellence".

And in the same direction, those signed by the Councilor for Agriculture, Rural Development and Mediterranean Fisheries of the Sicilian Region Luca Sammartino also continued the work, providing operational details and identifying Irvos, the institute responsible for training for the subjects who carry out wine tourism activities, in the application and compliance with the minimum standards.