Regional Institute of Wine and Oil

THE SICILIAN BUBBLES NETWORK IS BORN: SPARKLING WINE BECOMES THE GATEWAY TO THE TERRITORY

IRVO launched the Network Manifesto with the aim of mapping wine tourism itineraries to promote the areas of excellent sparkling wines.

 

Sparkling wine-producing Sicily is a wine-producing continent to be explored slowly. The diverse production areas are veritable stops on an itinerary that unites volcanic landscapes, inland hills, Mediterranean coasts, and wind-shaped islands. Mapping this heritage means integrating native grape varieties with the sea, archaeological sites, cities of art, villages, natural parks, and gastronomy. This vision inspired the conference "Sicilian Sparkling Wines. From Enological Excellence to the Experience of a Territory," which took place on Monday, July 13th at the Madison in Realmonte, as part of the event Sicily in Bubbles organized by AIS Agrigento and Caltanissetta.

The conference promoted by theRegional Institute of Oil and Wine (IRVO) in synergy with the Sicilian section of the Italian Sommelier Association, has christened the path of the “Sicilian Bubbles Network"beginning the drafting of the declaration of intent that unites producers, institutions, and consortia to transform Sicilian sparkling wine into the gateway to new wine tourism itineraries. "In recent years, Sicilian sparkling wine," he said, Giusi Mistretta, IRVO Commissioner, “have demonstrated their own identity. They are the fruit of unique terroirs, of expertly interpreted native and international grape varieties, and of entrepreneurs who have invested in quality, innovation, and sustainability. Today, this reality deserves to be organically promoted, to establish a strong and recognizable collective image.”

IRVO's mission, in line with the development strategies of theRegional Department for Agriculture, Rural Development and Mediterranean Fisheries, It also aims to foster the conditions for the Sicilian winemaking system to grow competitively, cohesively, and recognizably on national and international markets. "With this in mind, IRVO has launched the 'Manifesto' to create a Sicilian Sparkling Wine Network," Mistretta continued, "a collective, open, and participatory project to build a narrative that will establish Sicilian Sparkling Wines as a recognizable, credible, and authoritative category, aimed at building a dedicated, coordinated, and high-quality wine tourism offering. Competitiveness comes through collaboration, the ability to work together, and the ability to present ourselves with a shared identity. With this goal, we are promoting this cooperative laboratory among all the key players in the winemaking world (consortia, producer associations), to whom we will submit a 'Declaration of Intent' to advance a shared vision and strengthen the identity of Sicilian Sparkling Wines." the latest data from the IRVO Observatory (2025) shared by Francesca Salvia during the works, they are 140 Sicilian companies producers of sparkling wines (DOC, IGT and varietal), with 330 labels on national and international marketsSicilian sparkling wines are produced using the Charmat Method (54%) and the Classic Method (46%). By denomination, 49.1% of production is IGT Terre Siciliane, 29.3% is DOC Sicilia, and 20.4% is DOC Etna. 86% of sparkling wines in Sicily are white, 14% are rosé. The Etna DOC is the most significant in terms of production growth, with an incidence ranging from 9.8% in 2018 to 20.4% in 2025. Within this DOC, Etna Spumante Bianco is the most vinified. "The Manifesto of the Sicilian Sparkling Wine Network," explained the president of AIS Sicilia, Francesco Baldacchino – represents an important example of how dialogue and collaboration can transform into a shared vision for the future of Sicilian wine. The process initiated by IRVO demonstrates the desire to integrate expertise, identity, and planning, with the goal of enhancing an enological heritage that is an authentic expression of our land. At AIS Sicilia, we believe that networking means creating culture, strengthening ties with the local area, and offering Sicilian sparkling wines a unique, authoritative, and recognizable voice.

Sicilian sparkling wine production is small but valuable, accounting for 11% of the island's total bottled wines. However, the percentage of wineries entering the sparkling wine market is growing. Some have already earned international recognition with prestigious awards, while others are ambitiously entering a market marked by a growing trend toward light, sparkling wines. The aim now is to map production within an innovative network to develop wine tourism itineraries in a land that boasts UNESCO World Heritage Sites and truly unmissable sites such as Mount Etna, Europe's highest active volcano, the Zingaro and Vendicari nature reserves, Pantalica, the Valley of the Temples, Selinunte, Segesta, Syracuse, the Villa Romana del Casale, the Arab-Norman villages, and the Baroque cities of the Val di Noto.

 

The map of the integrated production areas of some of Sicily's treasures

 

On theEtna, a UNESCO heritage site, viticulture meets the power of the volcano. Here the Nerello Mascalese, vinified as white or rosé, is the protagonist of the DOC Etna sparkling wines produced with the Classic Method and aged on the lees for at least 18 months. Carricante, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir They complete a unique winemaking landscape characterized by microclimates and lava soils. This is the land of black stone villages, forests, and lava eruptions, where you can visit the Etna Park, the Valle del Bove, the city of Catania, the Alcantara Gorges, the splendid Taormina, Naxos, Randazzo, Castiglione di Sicilia, and the castles of Aci Castello and Calatabiano.

In the Western Sicily, Between Trapani, Marsala, Memphis, and Agrigento, the journey crosses territories open to the sea, where the Charmat Method and Classic Method enhance a great variety of grapes: Grillo, Catarratto, Inzolia, Zibibbo, Grecanico, Chardonnay and Chenin blanc, next to Nero d'Avola, Pinot Noir and Pinot GrigioThe production mosaic tells the story of the island's Mediterranean vocation and the native vines that are gaining international fame.

In this area, wine tourists can explore the nature reserves of the Stagnone Islands of Marsala, the salt pans of Trapani and Paceco, Zingaro, and Torre Salsa, as well as admire the Scala dei Turchi and the archaeological site of the Valley of the Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Torre Salsa, Mozia, Segesta, Selinunte, Erice, Sciacca, and the villages of the Belice Valley, with their Mediterranean heritage that accompanies the wine's journey.

In the heart of Sicily, between Caltanissetta, Enna, and the Agrigento hinterland, vineyards and hills draw a rural landscape where Classic Method and Charmat give life to sparkling wines Nero d'Avola, Pinot Noir, Grillo, Catarratto, Inzolia, and ChardonnayIn this area is the Villa Romana del Casale, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and among the plateaus are Lake Pergusa, the Erei Mountains, Morgantina, Sabucina, the Castello di Lombardia, Mussomeli, Mazzarino, and Sperlinga.

In the South-East of the Island, Between Ragusa, Syracuse and Noto, The White Muscat expresses its aromatic character, and the Nero d'Avola It transforms into elegant rosé versions, and in this area, production of the Classic Method is growing. It is especially in this area that wine tourism encounters Baroque architecture, limestone quarries, and ancient Greek cities. Among the assets UNESCO of Sicily here is Syracuse with Ortigia, the Temple of Apollo, the Cathedral built on the Temple of Athena, the Neapolis Archaeological Park and the rock necropolis of Pantalica, and then the late Baroque cities of the Val di Noto. But there are also the nature reserves of Vendicari, Cavagrande del Cassibile and the mouth of the Irminio River.

A crucial stage of the journey is also Pantelleria, its natural area harsh and suggestive It is protected and preserves an intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO: the traditional practice of growing bush vines. On the remote and fascinating island of Pantelleria's dammusi and gardens, the Zibibbo in purity that tells of the sun, the wind and nature through sparkling wines produced mainly with the Charmat Method.

There Sicilian Bubbles Network It will traverse these areas and, with new intentions, will encourage the exploration of itineraries where wine tourism reveals a variety of landscapes, grape varieties, production cultures, and the treasures that the island holds. Each glass will be the starting point for discovering the biological, agricultural, and cultural riches of a land dedicated to hospitality.