Sicily of bubbles tries to become a destination. No longer just a niche production to be told through labels, but a map of territories to cross: vineyards, wineries, villages, natural parks, archaeological sites, art cities, sea and gastronomy. This is the meaning of the Sicilian bubbles network, the path promoted by Irvo (Regional Institute of Wine and Oil), in synergy with Ais (Italian Sommelier Association) Sicily, which will be at the center of the conference “Sicilian Bubbles. From oenological excellence to the experience of a territory”, scheduled as part of the twelfth edition of Sicily in Bubbles, in Realmonte.
Read more Italy, today young farmers speak the language of business
Ask the Sun
The questions are automatically suggested by 24Ore AI
based on the content displayed.
The Manifesto to transform bubbles into itineraries
The key step will be the signing of the Manifesto of the Sicilian bubbles network, a declaration of intent that aims to bring together institutions, producers, consortia and local operators to build a common identity. The goal is to transform the Sicilian bubble into a gateway to new wine tourism itineraries, capable of linking wine production to the experience of the places. The idea of Irvo and the Regional Department for Agriculture, Rural Development and Mediterranean Fisheries comes from an international vision that notes how competitiveness in wine markets is measured by the ability to develop wine tourism in production areas, so signing the network’s declaration of intent means planning a new model aimed at uniting the wine realities of Sicily. The goal is to give voice to a common and recognizable identity: the Sicilian bubble will become the gateway to itineraries that lead, step by step, to discovering the identity of the places and the biodiversity of the grape varieties.
A small sector in volume but growing
The numbers explain why the topic is no longer marginal. According to the Irvo Observatory, there are about 140 producers of sparkling wines in Sicily, among DOC, IGT and varietals, with about 330 labels marketed. 54% of the labels are produced with the Charmat Method, while 46% with the Classic Method. Production is still less than 1% of the regional packaged volume, but the sector shows growing interest, driven by the awards obtained by several wineries and new consumption trends towards lighter, fresher and sparkling wines.
Read more Asylum requests, the CSM raises the alarm on workloads
Etna drives the growth of Sicilian sparkling wines
In 2025 Sicilian sparkling wines were 86% white and 14% rosé. By denomination, 49.1% of production is IGT Terre Siciliane, 29.3% DOC Sicilia and 20.4% DOC Etna. Etna is the most dynamic data: its incidence on the total Sicilian sparkling wines rose from 9.8% in 2018 to 20.4% in 2025.
Looking at individual types, in 2025 the most produced was the IGT Terre Siciliane white sparkling wine, with an incidence of 18%. Followed by DOC Etna white sparkling wine at 17%, DOC Sicilia Grillo sparkling wine at 16% and IGT Terre Siciliane Nerello Mascalese vinified in white at 14%. The first four types alone represent 65% of the total production of Sicilian sparkling wines.
Read more Italy at the US summit on «red terrorism,» controversy
