CAMPAGNA FINANZIATA AI SENSI DEL REGOLAMENTO CE N. 1234/07

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1 CAMPAGNA FINANZIATA AI SENSI DEL REGOLAMENTO CE N. 1234/07

2 THE PROJECT The project Sicily A Continent Of Wine was set up by Valdibella Coop. Agricola. The main idea is to promote the Sicilian island with its traditional vineyards and wines. We would like to take the visitor of this website on a virtual trip to the most suitable wine-growing areas while showing the strong link between our continent and the history, the culture and the people of the island. Key players of the project are the wines produced according to the new DOC Sicilia regulations in compliance with the requirements of the Decree n /12/2011 introduced on November 22nd, Our main interest lies in those Sicilian wines produced with grapes from old local vine stocks which better reflect their unique quality. We have chosen the USA as target nation for the presentation of our project as Italy is today the major importer of value wines to the US wine market. Our intention is to provide a virtual platform, a forum for the exchange of ideas, views and information raising the awareness for DOC Sicilia wines and current research activity on old indigenous vine varieties. We wish to create a link between our partners, stakeholders and consumers, a virtual meeting point where experiences, good practices and information may be exchanged and where all events and news from the DOC Sicilia Wine Continent may be spread reaching wine lovers worldwide. 2 3

3 DESIGNATION SICILY The variety of Sicilian wines is a diversity representing unity. One of the few reservoirs of wine variability in Europe. We will produce original and unique wines, avoiding the risk of trivialization. (Attilio Scienza) For over ten years associations, cooperatives and vine growers in Sicily have worked together to obtain the DOC Sicilia label, which is the 23rd DOC designation on a regional level. There is a peculiarity about this new brand: it can be added to the already existing 22 DOC designations and will make it easier for operators on the international wine market to identify the various DOCs on the Sicilian territory. The DOC Sicilia designation introduced lower maximum yields per hectare compared with the former IGT regulations. This way, winegrowers aim at a qualitative improvement of their wines in spite of production yields. Higher quality standards are combined with a strong commitment for a maximum valorisation of wines produced on our island. Our commitment seems more than necessary if we consider the growing interest in our wines of the US and Canadian market as well as of the emerging markets such as Russia, China etc. The new brand DOC Sicilia has the intention to strengthen the identity of Sicilian wines, while improving their quality, image and market position. 5

4 KEY POINTS OF THE DOC SICILIA REGULATION The decree, which regulates the production of wines labelled DOC Sicilia, was introduced on November 22nd, The regulations refer to all wine varieties produced on the Sicilian territory. The first wines labelled DOC Sicilia were produced with the 2012 harvest. Aiming at improved quality standards for Sicilian wines, the DOC Sicilia designation introduced lower maximum yields per hectare compared with the former IGT regulation. The DOC Sicilia designation refers to five types of wines: White wines, including late harvests; Red wines, including late harvests and reserves; Rosé wines; White Spumante (white sparkling wines); Rosé Spumante (rosé sparkling wines); including 26 varieties of wines. 13 of them are produced with grapes from old indigenous vines and are described on our website. For further information, please download the full version of the DOC Sicilia regulation available on our website: 6 7

5 THE TERROIR When the DOC designation ("Controlled designation of origin") was first introduced in France in the 1930s, what was the idea behind it? What had to be protected? Perhaps the areas where the most vigorous and healthy vine stocks where growing? We will try to answer this question with a citation by Nicolas Joly, a French vigneron and great supporter of biodynamic viticulture: What was considered an ideal place at that time [the 1930s]? A place where lady vine felt well and could sing freely and tell everybody about her happiness. [ ] When lady vine grows in a place where she can express all of her potentials, she transfers to her fruits the characteristics of the place she is growing in, especially as she is a peculiar vegetal being with a proper willpower. It s just these simple things? This means that, thanks to her roots, lady vine conjoins with the soil, attaches herself closely to it and through her leaves she receives all the climatic components which characterize the place she lives in. To these characteristics belong various typologies of heat, which appear in very different moments depending on the intensity of light, on wind, which can be soft or tumultuous, on light or abundant rains, on morning or evening mist...all these components are part of the climate and are first transformed into plant material and later into fruits. (Nicolas Joly, 2008) 8 9

6 We have chosen a somehow poetic citation with the intention to introduce the now widespread concepts of terroir and zoning in viticulture. These principles are part of all DOC regulations in order to guarantee viticultural practices, which are respectful of the natural and original environment of vine varieties and which, at the same time, are committed to the quality improvement of old indigenous wines. The pedo-climatic conditions of an area play an important role in the plantation of vines as these characteristics are crucial for the personality and quality of the wines. On the Sicilian territory we distinguish 7 types of soil suitable for winegrowing. The right balance between soil, climate and human intervention is the key factor for a high-quality wine production according to the DOC Sicilia regulations. The following list shows what kind of characteristics a wine develops depending on the soil where the vine stock is growing. Permeable soil with pebbly layers Wines obtained from the grapes produced on this type of soil are of high quality, have high alcohol contents as well as intense, refined aromas. Sandy soil Wines coming from this soil typology have refined and delicate aromas and a low content of extractive matters. Clay soil Wines obtained from the grapes produced on this type of soil have a high content of extractive matter and a balanced acidity. These wines are soft and suitable for aging. Heavy soil and heavy clay soil Wines coming from this soil typology have a high content in extractive matters, intense aromas and colours. Wet soil On wet soils vine stocks produce grapes for a wine with a low alcohol content, high acidity and a high protein content. Calcareous soil Wines with a high alcohol content and intense aromas originate from this type of soil. Also included in this category are marly soils with a high percentage of mineral salts as well as all red soils, both producing grapes for high-quality wines. Acidic soil Wines obtained from the grapes produced on this type of soil are refined and delicate, medium-bodied and of high quality. A soil is normally composed of two layers: an arable upper layer and a second layer, the subsoil, whose characteristics are determined by its unique geological components. These characteristics of the subsoil are important for the development of a vine stock. From here, the roots of the vine absorb all nutrients (mineral salts etc.) required by the plant. The formation of a wine s personality starts with this process. Therefore soils are divided into two categories: dark-coloured soils, which absorb more light which, in turn, gets converted into heat, thus contributing to a faster ripening process of the wine grapes (e.g. in the area around Mount Etna); light-coloured soils, which absorb less light which, in turn, converts less heat, thus contributing to a slower ripening process of the wine grapes (e.g. on the south-eastern part of Sicily). In short, the organoleptic and sensory characteristics of a high-quality wine strictly depend on the colour of the soil, in which the vine stock grows in, as well as on the soil s structure and its chemical properties. In addition, we should also bear in mind that the thermal conditions to start the ripening process of a vine stock, strictly depend on the variety. We can thus conclude that our territory is particularly suitable for viticulture as all necessary conditions for a good winemaking are present in our region, satisfying the DOC Sicilia standards...a real continent of wine. 11

7 SICILY - WHERE VINE STOCKS FEEL AT HOME Soil, Sun, Wind, Water and Space. These are the natural forces, which provide nutrition to a vine stock. The ideal place for a vineyard is where these five elements are present in due proportion a place where vine stocks feel at home. Knowing how to manage these vital forces here in Sicily is the core of the art of winegrowing. This means to succeed in the production of highquality wine grapes for winemaking without any need to correct deficiencies or excesses during and after the winemaking process. We are strictly against the use of chemical fertilisers to help the Soil, of sugaring to adjust wine grapes with low sugar contents (which is typical for areas where the Sun does not shine regularly), the use of pesticides to protect vine stocks where there is no Wind or too much Water. And finally Space, which embraces the power of life. Our winegrowers have learned to produce their wines in harmony with the five elements and we know how to channel their potential and vital energy in order to obtain best value wines. The winegrowers of the cooperative Valdibella, Palermo 12 13

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9 OCM Vino Regolamento (CE) n. 1234/2007 del Consiglio UNIONE EUROPEA MINISTERO POLITICHE AGRICOLE ALIMENTARI E FORESTALI Decreto Ministeriale 22 luglio 2010 n REGIONE SICILIANA Assessorato Regionale Risorse Agricole e Alimentari Dipartimento Regionale Interventi Strutturali in Agricoltura 31

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