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There’s a Sicily that isn’t content with just making good wine. A Sicily that experiments, studies, innovates. That wants to produce better while consuming less. That looks at sustainability not as a label to put on a label, but as a daily, concrete, rigorous practice. This is where S.I.F.I.VITE was born, a project that has brought a wave of scientific and environmental innovation to the vineyard and winery, destined to change the face of Sicilian viticulture. <\/p>\n
Funded by PSR Sicily \u2013 Measure 16.1, through EAFRD, state and regional resources, S.I.F.I.VITE is promoted by a Temporary Purpose Association composed of six agricultural companies \u2013 Feudo Art\u00f9, Donna Contessa, Vivano, Pugliesi, Per le Uve and AGER \u2013 with the project’s scientific coordinator, Nino Galfano, agronomist and innovation broker, who followed every phase of the project step by step.<\/p>\n
“The idea was clear from the beginning \u2013 he tells <\/span>Terr\u00e0<\/em> <\/span>Galfano \u2013. We wanted to reduce the environmental impact of work in the vineyard and winery, improve the quality of the final product and build a model that could be replicated by other companies in the territory. We combined precision tools, innovative agronomic practices and a holistic approach to sustainability, always with concrete attention to results”. <\/p>\n Among the most distinctive features of the project is undoubtedly the reduction of pesticides through alternative techniques, some of which are absolutely cutting-edge. The most promising? The use of UV-C rays directly on the vines, a method capable of stimulating the plant’s natural defenses. <\/p>\n Field trials were conducted in different phenological phases and in different climatic contexts. UV-C rays, applied approximately every ten days, showed significant preventive action against powdery mildew. “For downy mildew we are in the evaluation phase \u2013 the expert continues \u2013 but the potential is very high. It’s as if the plant were being ‘trained’ to react better not only to pathogens, but also to abiotic stresses such as excessive heat or late frosts”. <\/p>\n The intuition comes from international research, but it’s precisely in wine-making Sicily that it takes concrete form: less chemistry, more natural intelligence. And, above all, more respect for the land. <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/sifivite.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Immagine-WhatsApp-2025-05-27-ore-17.50.27_47163fa1.jpg” alt=”Sifivite Project” title_text=”Sifivite Project” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/sifivite.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Immagine-WhatsApp-2025-05-27-ore-17.50.24_46246597.jpg” alt=”Sifivite Project” title_text=”Sifivite Project” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n But the fight against pathogens is not the only front. The project has also brought precision viticulture to the vineyards, made up of drones, satellite maps and targeted interventions. A silent and invisible direction, which allows action only where needed. “We used drones to monitor the vineyards and apply variable-rate fertilization. This reduces consumption, improves plant health and allows total traceability of agronomic operations, an added value for those who today seek transparent and certified wine”, adds Galfano. <\/p>\n Another area explored is that of energy sustainability in the winery, with an idea as simple as it is revolutionary: exploiting the constant temperature of the subsoil to cool and heat the environments where wine is born and rests. Geothermal energy, in this case with horizontal probes, has allowed extraordinary energy efficiency to be achieved. <\/p>\n As the expert explains, an increase in the EER coefficient from 3 to 5 and the COP from 2.9 to 4.2 was recorded, which means over 38% energy saved, with a sharp cut in CO\u2082 emissions. A system like this can also be installed by medium-small companies, with sustainable costs and great positive impact on the environmental level. <\/p>\n Finally, attention to the final product could not be missing: lighter wines, with fewer sulfites and more attention to the consumer. Here too the experimentation was rigorous and bold: early defoliation to reduce sugar accumulation, use of low-alcohol-yield yeasts \u2013 including non-Saccharomyces \u2013 and new physical techniques for microbiological stabilization, which allow limiting sulfur dioxide without compromising the quality and duration of the wine. <\/p>\n In short, the market is changing, more and more people want to drink well and responsibly. They’re not looking for strong wine, they’re looking for balance, transparency, identity. “We are working to give a concrete answer to this new demand, respecting the territory and its traditions”. <\/p>\n The S.I.F.I.VITE project will conclude by the end of June, but its impact will go far beyond. The results have already been shared in meetings with industry operators, published in specialized magazines and made available through institutional channels. All in the logic of maximum sharing and transferability: because innovation, to be truly useful, must circulate, contaminate, inspire. <\/p>\n At a historical moment when agriculture is called to rethink itself in the face of climate change, resource scarcity and growing consumer attention, S.I.F.I.VITE represents a virtuous model of applied ecological transition. An all-Sicilian example of how technology, environment and wine culture can be combined, for a viticulture that not only produces, but educates, respects and looks ahead. <\/p>\n “We took a first step \u2013 concludes Galfano \u2013. Now it’s up to the Sicily system to ensure that these experiences don’t remain isolated. Because innovating doesn’t just mean changing tools, but changing mentality, and we \u2013 in this project \u2013 have demonstrated that it’s possible”.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/terra.regione.sicilia.it\/sostenibilita-in-cantina-come-la-geotermia-sta-ridisegnando-la-produzione-del-vino\/” button_text=”Terr\u00e0 Article” button_alignment=”center” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”15px” button_text_color=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_color=”gcid-4ac5b528-3490-4b32-a710-803cab6d0017″ button_border_radius=”0px” button_font=”Manrope|800|||||||” button_icon=”||fa||900″ button_on_hover=”off” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”16px|54px|16px|36px|false|false” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”bottom” animation_delay=”1100ms” animation_intensity_slide=”25%” animation_speed_curve=”ease” hover_enabled=”0″ button_letter_spacing_last_edited=”off|desktop” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{%22gcid-4ac5b528-3490-4b32-a710-803cab6d0017%22:%91%22button_bg_color%22%93}” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”on|desktop” button_bg_color__hover=”#1f242e” button_bg_enable_color__hover=”on” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”on|hover” button_letter_spacing__hover=”0px” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There’s a Sicily that isn’t content with just making good wine. A Sicily that experiments, studies, innovates. That wants to produce better while consuming less. That looks at sustainability not as a label to put on a label, but as a daily, concrete, rigorous practice. This is where S.I.F.I.VITE was born, a project that has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":87567,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sifivite.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87601","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sifivite.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sifivite.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sifivite.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sifivite.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87601"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sifivite.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87601\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87603,"href":"https:\/\/sifivite.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87601\/revisions\/87603"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sifivite.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87567"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sifivite.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sifivite.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sifivite.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Pesticide Reduction: the Innovative Use of UV-C Rays<\/span><\/h3>\n
Precision Viticulture: Drones and Satellite Maps<\/span><\/h3>\n
The Use of Geothermal Energy<\/span><\/h3>\n
New Techniques for Lighter and Healthier Wines<\/span><\/h3>\n
Sharing and Transferability: a Virtuous Model<\/span><\/h3>\n