Which is the best Italian sparkling wine?
The answer comes from the prestigious international competition “Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championship 2024”: G. Milazzo’s Metodo Classico Riserva V38AG. The award not only names this sparkling wine the best in Italy, but also marks a historic turning point for Sicilian sparkling wine.
The wine from the G.Milazzo estate is in fact the first from Southern Italy to win this award, a distinction of the highest prestige.
In the competition’s 11 years, the Italian national trophy had never gone to a wine from anywhere other than Northern Italy. For 8 years the winners were Trentodoc and Franciacorta, and for the last 2 years wines from Alto Adige. This time the Best Italian Sparkling Wine lands at the opposite end of the country, in Sicily, proof of the island’s extraordinary aptitude, and especially that of the Agrigento area, for creating outstanding sparkling wines.
A sensory masterpiece
In the glass, Metodo Classico Riserva V38AG shows a bright straw yellow enhanced by golden highlights. The perlage is fine and persistent, a feature that heralds its elegance and quality. On the nose, the bouquet is complex and enveloping, with notes of ripe peach, pineapple, bread crust and vanilla, enriched by floral nuances of acacia and linden. On the palate, its silky, creamy texture combines with vibrant freshness and a minerality that make it extremely enjoyable and refined. The finish is long, marked by a savouriness that leaves an indelible memory.
What makes V38AG special above all is its production method. First of all, the long ageing on the lees, which lasts at least eight years. This process, together with the meticulous selection of Inzolia and Chardonnay grapes, gives the wine unique aromatic complexity and structure. Made according to the traditional champenoise method, V38AG is the result of artisanal mastery that shows in every sip.
You can buy Riserva V38AG Milazzo here.
The G.Milazzo estate and its territory
Behind a product’s success there is, of course, its brand. The Milazzo estate is the real protagonist of this story. Located in the heart of Sicily, it covers 75 hectares of vineyards at 400 metres above sea level. The terroir is unique, combining the influence of a mild Mediterranean climate, with cool summers and mild winters, with an extraordinarily varied soil morphology. Dark clays rich in organic matter alternate with white calcareous soils, ensuring constant fertility and complex aromatic profiles in the wines.
The Milazzo family, with more than five generations of experience, pioneered the production of Metodo Classico sparkling wines in Sicily. Between the late 1970s and the early 1980s, it gave fresh impetus to native grape varieties, introducing innovative techniques and promoting a production philosophy based on sustainability.
Sustainability is indeed the cornerstone of this estate. Since the mid-1980s, Milazzo has been moving towards organic farming, obtaining organic certification for all its land in 2012. In 2013 it obtained ISO 14067 certification, which attests to its commitment to reducing CO₂ emissions during production. The estate uses only water from artesian wells and artificial lakes for domestic use, irrigation and winery operations, and has put in place systems to recover and filter wastewater for agricultural use. It has also invested significantly in renewable energy, installing a photovoltaic system that covers more than 80% of its energy needs.
Azienda Agricola G. Milazzo is a model of excellence in the wine sector in terms of sustainability, but also of commitment, tradition and evolution, with wines of the highest quality that reflect the uniqueness of Sicily.
All the wines of the Milazzo estate are available here.
For the first time, the best Italian sparkling wine comes from the South
The award for best Italian sparkling wine at the 2024 “Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championship” confirms not only the extraordinary quality of Metodo Classico Riserva V38AG, but also the excellence of winemaking in Southern Italy. It is a milestone that celebrates the passion, commitment and vision of the Milazzo family, who with this wine have written a memorable page in the history of Italian sparkling wine.
The Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships is an international competition devoted exclusively to sparkling wines, founded in 2013 by Tom Stevenson, a leading authority in the world of sparkling wine. During the competition, wines are assessed through a rigorous process of blind tastings by a panel of expert judges. The awards include gold and silver medals, with special prizes such as “Best in Class” for the top-performing categories and the prestigious title of “Supreme World Champion”, awarded to the best sparkling wine overall.
Over the years, the CSWWC has attracted a growing number of producers from all over the world, establishing itself as the most authoritative competition in the sparkling wine sector. In previous editions, the awards for best Italian sparkling wine went mainly to producers from Northern Italy. Trentodoc often stood out as Italy’s most awarded sparkling wine, winning numerous gold and silver medals across several editions of the competition.
The victory of G. Milazzo’s Metodo Classico Riserva V38AG in the 2024 edition therefore marks a historic turning point and puts the spotlight on the emerging excellence of Southern Italian sparkling wines.
G. Milazzo’s Metodo Classico Riserva V38AG combines tradition and innovation, Sicilian roots and international ambition: it is the best Italian sparkling wine of 2024!
