IN BREVE
- The Consortium for the Protection of Sicilia DOC Wines has elected Alessio Planeta as its new president.
- The Board has reconfirmed twelve members, including Antonio Rallo and Vincenzo Ampola, for the next three-year term.
- Planeta is committed to enhancing the wine heritage while tackling challenges such as changing consumption patterns and global competition.
- Growth opportunities for Sicilian wine were highlighted, driven by tourism and varietal biodiversity.
- Alessio Planeta, CEO of Planeta since 1991, has received major awards and aims to consolidate the role of Sicilia DOC.
The Consortium for the Protection of Sicilia DOC Wines has a new president. The Board of Directors elected Alessio Planeta to lead the organization during the first meeting of the new Board on Friday, April 10. The appointment comes just days after the shareholders’ meeting and marks the start of a new mandate focused on the continuity of protection, promotion, and development of Sicilian wine in the markets.
At the same time, the assembly reconfirmed the twelve members of the Board of Directors for the next three years. In addition to the new president Alessio Planeta, the members include Antonio Rallo, Vincenzo Ampola, Gaspare Baiata, Giuseppe Bursi, Salvatore Chiantia, Rosario Di Maria, Giuseppe Figlioli, Roberto Magnisi, Filippo Paladino, Letizia Russo, and Alberto Tasca.
GOVERNANCE AND STRATEGIES
The Board’s choice confirms the desire to continue along a governance line focused on enhancing the island’s wine heritage. Among the stated objectives are the strengthening of protection and promotion activities and strategic development in national and international markets.
In his first speech, Planeta highlighted the value of the work carried out in previous years and the Consortium’s role in the sector’s growth: “I would like to express, on one hand, the joy of this prestigious appointment, which represents a great honor for me, my family, our company, and all our employees. On the other hand, I wish to express my gratitude to my friend Antonio Rallo and to all the Boards of Directors that preceded this presidency for the extraordinary work they have done.”
INDUSTRY CHALLENGES
The new president drew attention to the complex context of his mandate: “I feel a strong sense of responsibility, linked to the complexity of the moment we are going through: we are facing great challenges in an increasingly complex market and in a difficult economic climate.”
Planeta identifies changes in consumption patterns, growing attention to health issues, unstable international dynamics, and increasingly intense global competition among the critical issues. Added to these factors are cost pressures and geopolitical uncertainties.
OPPORTUNITIES AND DEVELOPMENT
Alongside the difficulties, elements of growth are also emerging. “At the same time, we have extraordinary opportunities ahead of us,” Planeta states, emphasizing the value of Sicilian vineyards, varietal biodiversity, and the role of tourism as a lever for the sector. “We protect the name Sicily, which is highly evocative: we must be able to bring the reputation that Sicily has in tourism, culture, and food into the glass.”
ALESSIO PLANETA’S PROFILE
Born in 1966 and a graduate in Agricultural Sciences, Alessio Planeta has been the CEO of the Planeta winery since 1991. He has contributed to the development and international positioning of Sicilian wines. He served as president of Assovini Sicilia from 2017 to 2020 and was a member of the Board of the Sicilia DOC Consortium.
In 2012, he was named an Associate Academician of the Accademia dei Georgofili, and in 2023, he received the title of “Winemaker of the Year” at Wine Enthusiast’s Wine Star Awards. In 2024, he was honored as “Wine Family of the Year” at the Meininger Excellence in Wine & Spirit Awards. The Planeta brand has entered the “The World’s Most Admired Wine Brands” ranking. Planeta takes on the role at a strategic phase, with the goal of consolidating the role of Sicilia DOC as a benchmark for quality and identity for the island’s wine.
