Wine tourism now generates more than €3 billion for Italian wineries

The Consorzio di Tutela Vini DOC Sicilia used the start of summer to promote three Sicilia DOC wines as part of the island’s growing wine tourism appeal, pointing to new data that show winery visits and related experiences have become a larger source of revenue for Italian producers.

In a statement issued Tuesday from Palermo, the consortium said summer travel in Sicily increasingly blends beaches, historic towns, vineyards and food experiences, with wine playing a central role in how visitors explore the island. The group tied that message to findings from the first wine tourism market report by Wine Monitor, Nomisma’s wine industry observatory, which said wine tourism generated more than €3 billion for Italian wineries in 2025 and accounted on average for 21% of their total revenue.

The report also found rising demand for more immersive trips that combine tastings with landscape, culture and gastronomy, a trend the consortium said favors Sicilia DOC wines as entry points to the island’s different terroirs and traditions.

To mark the season, the consortium singled out three wines from the denomination for different summer occasions. For aperitivo at sunset, it highlighted Insolia Sicilia DOC, describing it as marked by white flowers, citrus and Mediterranean herbs. For outdoor lunches, especially with seafood, it pointed to Grillo Sicilia DOC, one of Sicily’s best-known native varieties, citing its salinity, citrus profile and structure. For evening drinking and informal meals, it chose Nero d’Avola Sicilia DOC Rosé, a rosé version of Sicily’s flagship red grape, with notes of wild strawberry, pomegranate and other red berries.

The Consorzio di Tutela Vini DOC Sicilia was established in 2012 to represent Sicilian wine and promote the DOC Sicilia appellation while overseeing protection and monitoring activities for producers and consumers.