Assovini Sicilia introduces new generation of leadership headed by Gabriella Favara

By Oliver Catchpole

Published: 08 July, 2026

Marsala native Gabriella Favara has been appointed as the president of Assovini Sicilia by the trade organisation’s newly elected board of directors.

The new leadership are all notably youthful, with the board all drawn from the ‘Generazione Next’ group of producers who are under 40, including Graziano Nicosia; Costante Planeta; Cristina Madaudo; Pietro Pollara; Alessandro Tasca; Enrica Spadafora; and Totò Navarra.

The group is intended to bring dynamism, new forms of communication, and of course promote Sicilian wines, with the association saying that this focus on the new generation shows that it has “already charted a course for the future”.

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Favara – who is the international marketing manager of her family’s company Donnafugata – is herself under 30. She joined the business four years ago following some experience in corporate marketing, and after earning her degree in business economics along with a master’s in business management.

Commenting on her appointment by the board, she said: “I am grateful to President Mariangela Cambria and the outgoing Board for the great work done, and I am honoured by the trust that the Assembly has chosen to place in our new council.

“I accept this baton with great respect and with the awareness of the challenges that await our sector. Assovini Sicilia has contributed in a decisive way to building the identity and prestige of Sicilian wine in the world.

“Our task will be to continue this path, combining experience and innovation, strengthening the value of our association and working together to face market changes and continue to give strength to the Sicily brand.”

Founded in 1998 by Giacomo Rallo, Diego Planeta and Lucio Tasca, Assovini Sicilia brings together 101 member wineries, producing around 900 labels. Between them, these producers generate 80% of the value of Sicilian wine, with exports reaching over 50% of sales.

Members are united through what was described as “a deep love for their land and the shared awareness that Sicilian wine represents a unique value” in the global wine landscape.

Assovini is also committed to the promotion of sustainability (social, economic and environmental) through its support of the SOStain Sicilia Foundation, which evaluates wineries on their environmental credentials.

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