Regional Institute of Wine and Oil

London, boom for Sicilian wines

Sicily's quality wine leaves an important mark in London, with the Wines of Sicily Tasting organized by Michele Shah srl together with Hunt & Coady on behalf of IRVOS on 2 October in the prestigious Millbank Tower. The event was divided into a Walk Around Tasting, with the participation of the main buyers, restaurateurs and journalists from the United Kingdom, and three tasting seminars entrusted to Master Wine Angela Muir, who illustrated the peculiarities of the main vines of Sicilian viticulture.

A successful formula, entirely self-produced by the Regional Institute of Wines and Oils of Sicily, which this year recorded an increase in visits equal to 20%, and which included guests such as the Masters of Wine Lynne Sherriff, Tim Atkin, Susan Hulme, Nicholas Belfrage, Alex Hunt and John Hoskins, as well as representatives of Marks & Spencer and the Majestic hotel chain. Michele Shah, the internationally renowned expert who oversaw the creation of the Wines of Sicily, comments on the event as follows: “To be successful in a difficult market like the British one it is a test of maturity that Sicily is passing brilliantly. Proof of this is the great appreciation achieved by this event, such that a larger location will probably be necessary for next year". “London confirms its extraordinary importance for the promotion of Sicilian wines – comments Dario Cartabellotta, director of the Department of Infrastructure Interventions of the Regional Department of Agricultural and Food Resources – especially with this innovative formula, which allows us to highlight the specifics and inimitable territorial identities of our island". The extraordinary commissioner of IRVOS Marcello Caruso comments on his first international outing as a representative of the organization: “The choice to focus on London, an important strategic platform for the Anglophone and South-East Asian markets, highlights the maturity reached by the Sicilian companies. The Wines of Sicily, thanks to the direct relationship established with sector operators, has allowed us to hoard the perception of quality that buyers and consumers have acquired towards Sicilian wines". The Wines of Sicily saw the participation of thirty-eight wineries, who return to Sicily full of satisfaction. Just as there is growth, that of Etna, confirmed by the great success achieved by the eighteen Etna companies present at the Real Italian Wine Tastino, the event held on 3 October in the historic Church House Conference Centre, with the participation of the IRVOS and the Consortium for the Protection of Etna Wines. From this point of view, the comment by the authoritative Master of Wine Tim Atkin was emblematic: “Sicily is one of the most underrated regions in Europe, but the great quality of native varieties such as Nero D'Avola and Nerello Mascalese can undoubtedly generate the attention that this island deserves”.