IN BREVE
- The Sicilian Sparkling Wine Network aims to transform sparkling wine into an opportunity for the Sicilian territory.
- The project involves producers, consortia, and institutions to create dedicated wine tourism itineraries.
- Sicilian sparkling wines show a unique identity, with production from 140 companies in 2025 and a preference for the Charmat Method.
- The wine tourism itinerary includes areas such as the Etna Park and various historic cities, combining wine and cultural landscapes.
- The project aims to enhance Sicilian sparkling wines as a recognizable category, creating a system of skills and territorial identities.
The Sicilian Sparkling Wine Network aims to transform sparkling wine into a gateway to the territory. The project was launched by Irvo, the Regional Institute of Oil and Wine, with a Manifesto that will involve producers, consortia, and institutions in the construction of dedicated wine tourism itineraries.
The initiative was presented on July 13 in Realmonte, in the province of Agrigento, during the conference “Sicilian Bubbles. From oenological excellence to the experience of a territory.”
THE MANIFESTO OF THE SICILIAN SPARKLING WINE NETWORK
The path involves the drafting of a common declaration of intent, aimed at connecting the different production areas of the Island and developing a coordinated tourism offer. The map will bring together wineries, native grape varieties, archaeological sites, cities of art, nature reserves, villages, and gastronomic traditions.
“In recent years – stated Irvo commissioner Giusi Mistretta – Sicilian sparkling wines have proven to possess their own identity. They are the result of unique territories, of native and international grape varieties interpreted with expertise, of entrepreneurs who have invested in quality, innovation, and sustainability.”
According to Mistretta, the competitiveness of the sector depends on the ability to present itself with a shared identity. The Manifesto will therefore serve to start a cooperation laboratory between consortia, associations, and wine companies.
IN SICILY 140 COMPANIES AND 330 SPARKLING WINE LABELS
Data from the Irvo Observatory for 2025 indicate the presence of 140 Sicilian companies producing Doc, Igt, and varietal sparkling wines, for a total of 330 labels marketed on Italian and foreign markets.
54% of the sparkling wines are produced using the Charmat Method, while 46% follow the Classic Method. The main share falls under the Igt Terre Siciliane, with 49.1% of production. This is followed by Doc Sicilia with 29.3% and Doc Etna with 20.4%.
White sparkling wines represent 86% of the total, compared to 14% for rosés. Sparkling wine production remains limited to 1% of the wines bottled on the Island, but the number of wineries entering the segment is growing.
THE GROWTH OF ETNA SPUMANTE
The Doc Etna is the denomination that has recorded the most consistent growth. Its impact on regional sparkling wine production has risen from 9.8% in 2018 to 20.4% in 2025.
On the slopes of the volcano, Nerello Mascalese, vinified as white or rosé, is the main grape variety for Etna Doc Metodo Classico sparkling wines, subjected to at least 18 months of aging on the lees. Carricante, Chardonnay, and Pinot Nero complete the picture.
The wine tourism itinerary could include the Etna Park, the Valle del Bove, Catania, the Alcantara Gorges, Taormina, Randazzo, and Castiglione di Sicilia, linking wine production to lava landscapes and black stone villages.
THE AREAS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL SICILY
In Western Sicily, between Trapani, Marsala, Menfi, and Agrigento, the Charmat Method and Classic Method are used for sparkling wines obtained from Grillo, Catarratto, Inzolia, Zibibbo, Grecanico, Chardonnay, and Chenin Blanc. Red grapes include Nero d’Avola and Pinot Nero.
The territorial offer includes the salt pans of Trapani and Paceco, the Stagnone Islands of Marsala, Mozia, Segesta, Selinunte, Erice, Sciacca, the Scala dei Turchi, and the Valley of the Temples.
In the heart of the Island, between Caltanissetta, Enna, and the Agrigento hinterland, sparkling wine production involves Nero d’Avola, Pinot Nero, Grillo, Catarratto, Inzolia, and Chardonnay. The wine itineraries can be accompanied by visits to the Villa Romana del Casale, Morgantina, Lake Pergusa, and the centers of Mussomeli, Mazzarino, and Sperlinga.
THE SOUTH-EAST AND THE BUBBLES OF PANTELLERIA
In the South-East, between Ragusa, Syracuse, and Noto, the production of Metodo Classico is growing. White Moscato is used for aromatic sparkling wines, while Nero d’Avola finds space especially in rosé versions.
The route passes through the Baroque cities of the Val di Noto, Syracuse, and Ortigia, the Neapolis Archaeological Park, the Necropolis of Pantalica, and the nature reserves of Vendicari, Cavagrande del Cassibile, and the mouth of the Irminio river.
An independent stop will be represented by Pantelleria. On the island, Zibibbo is mainly used in the production of Charmat Method sparkling wines. The wine is part of a landscape marked by dammusi, Pantescan gardens, and the cultivation of head-trained vines (alberello), recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.
AIS SICILY: “A UNIQUE AND RECOGNIZABLE VOICE”
For the president of Ais Sicily Francesco Baldacchino, the Network represents “an important example of how dialogue and collaboration can transform into a shared vision for the future of Sicilian wine.”
The goal is to systematize skills, production, and territorial identities, so that Sicilian sparkling wines can be perceived as a recognizable category. The glass thus becomes the starting point for exploring the Island’s landscapes, grape varieties, cultural heritage, and production traditions.
