Regional Institute of Wine and Oil

Vinitaly 2013, the opening press conference

The 47th edition of Vinitaly opened with an important press conference. The conference of the Sicilian Region took place in the Sala Vivaldi of the Palaexpo di Verona Fiere. Large audience presence including producers, operators, industry experts and visitors. Sicilian excellence acted as a leitmotif, starting from wine but not only.

The new commissioner of IRVOS, the nutritionist Giorgio Calabrese, underlined the importance of conscious drinking as well as the beneficial properties of extra virgin olive oil: "Consumers must be educated to drink well, those who produce oil and wine in Sicily must be aware of producing high-value foods that are good for you, even before being good". All included in the new perspective, launched by the regional councilor for Agricultural and Food Resources Dario Cartabellotta, of the "Born in Sicily" brand. “Laws – underlined the councilor – need to be made with a focus on concreteness”. And he added: “Fashions pass, but identities remain. This must be our philosophy."

In fact, during the meeting the strategy that the Sicilian Region in collaboration with IRVOS is implementing to support Sicilian wine and oil production was illustrated, which can be summarized in the "Born in Sicily" project. “Agriculture is planning, it is not speculation – stated Cartabellotta – therefore it must be defended. The “Born in Sicily” project aims to combine the excellence of the different production contexts to present them in a single brand, putting the territory at the centre. We must start by valorising the excellent products that come from these territories while also safeguarding the producers. On the other hand, the great biodiversity of Sicily is the guarantee of our uniqueness which we must preserve to avoid falling into an indistinct brand that allows everyone to define their own Sicilian products only because they are packaged in our territories. “Born in Sicily” – concluded Cartabellotta – can be that added value that can trigger the development of the island's agriculture”.