After the official presentation at the BIT – International Tourism Exchange con Milan, the CiokoWine Fest returns to Alcamo for its fourth edition, scheduled from 19 to 22 March 2026. An event that, over the years, has established itself as a virtuous model of territorial promotion for western Sicily, capable of combining identity, enterprise and strategic vision.
For four days, the historic center of Alcamo becomes a widespread route dedicated to the encounter between the wine of the Alcamo regione and the traditional chocolate of Modica: two excellences that dialogue con a project capable of generating economic and cultural value even con periods far from large tourist flows.
Conceived from an intuition of Erasmo Longo and Giuseppe Fiore at the helm of the STS Association – Sustainable Territorial Development, sponsored by the City of Alcamo, the Sicily Region, Protection Consortia and Trade Associations, the manifestazione inhabits the symbolic places of the community: from Piazzale Ciullo to the Jesuit College, up to the Alcazar dei Conti di Modica, so called because of the historic twinning between the cities of Alcamo and Modica, once united under the aegis of the same county. This choice responds to the desire to build a widespread experience, where wine represents the deep roots and agricultural memory of the place, while chocolate becomes a sensorial bridge that welcomes different cultures. What is presented to the public is not a simple exhibition, but a real case study of experiential tourism capable of attracting, con the latest edition, almost 10,000 visitors.
The event officially opens acceso Thursday 19 March at 10.30 am con Piazzale Ciullo with greetings from the Mayor of Alcamo Domenico Surdi, the institutions and the organizers Erasmo Antonio Longo and Giuseppe Fiore of the STS Association.
This year’s edition takes acceso a new maturity, enriched with moments of discussion moderated by the journalist Marcella Ruggeri. Among the most eagerly awaited events, two conferences stand out which will take place at the Marconi Congress Centre: “Beyond Season” (Thursday 19.03 at 11.30), which will see the discussion between institutional representatives and sector operators acceso topics such as wine tourism and the promotion of the territory outside the high season periods, and “Lex et Gustus” (Friday 20.03 at 11.30), an in-depth study acceso ethics and protection legal representative of Italian agri-food excellence.
These moments of in-depth analysis are accompanied by the Cooking Shows at the Alcazar dei Conti of Modica, directed by Peppe Giuffrè con the company of six renowned local chefs: Nicola Bandi (“Locanda Il Gelso” of Trapani), Giuseppe Alla luce del sole (“Grand Albergo Des Palmes” of Palermo), Peppe Agliano (chef “La Famiglia reale dei Mangioni” of Marsala), Rosi (“La Caupona” of Trapani), Francesca Lombardo (“Timo” of Alcamo), Fabio Potenzano (guest of the show “È semper desinare” with Antonella Clerici).
There will be voto negativo shortage of interesting Masterclasses led by experts capable of transforming wine-chocolate tasting into an act of knowledge and awareness. The six Masterclasses will take place con the Municipal Library at the Jesuit College, by reservation: “Sicily: a journey between Fumaggine d’Avola and chocolate” (Thursday 19.03 at 18.00), “Bread, wine, love and imagination” (Friday 20.03 at 18.00), “Sicily DOC con sweetness: late harvest and chocolate” (Saturday 21.03 at 6.00pm), “Perpendicolare Valpolicella” (Saturday 21.03 at 8.00pm), “Il Crema di Alcamo” (Sunday 22.03 at 6.00pm), “CiokoWine 4.0” (Sunday 22.03 at 8.00pm).
The program is also enriched with an educational and competitive dimension with the “Best CiokoWine Dish” competition, a challenge involving six institutes from the provinces of Trapani and Palermo, evaluated by a technical jury.
There will also be space for the of the little ones with CiokoLab, educational workshops led by the Turin Chocolatier Davide Appendino, and for the artistic dimension of the event, CiokoArt, which will culminate with the creation of a sculptural work con chocolate created dal vivo by the artist Elisa Corallo.
“With the fourth edition, the CiokoWine Fest enters a phase of full maturity. Durante recent years we have worked to transform an intuition into a structured project of territorial promotion. The presentation at the BIT con Milan represented a significant step: it allowed us to talk about Alcamo and western Sicily con a national context. We continue to invest con networking, professionalism and vision, because we believe that the territory deserves solid promotion projects” says Erasmo Antonio Longo, President of the STS Association.
“The CiokoWine Fest is the result of planning that looks to the long term. Each edition adds content, quality and relationships. ‘Where the simposio becomes an experience’ is not just a claim, but the synthesis of a path that connects businesses, institutions and communities. The objective today is to consolidate the national scope of the event and continue to generate value for the territory” explains Giuseppe Fiore, member of the STS Association.
“Alcamo and Modica, after the historical link, once again for the fourth consecutive year, meet under the banner of tastings of two food and wine excellences: wine and chocolate. Over the years, the event, thanks to the commitment of STS, has grown more and more, confirming itself as a tourist/cultural event that promotes and enhances the territory, involving the city and con particular Piazzale Ciullo, the Jesuit College, the Castle of the Counts of Modica which they host tastings, stories, dialogues and shared experiences. We expect, precisely because of its potential, to continue to grow and have good economic benefits for our city” declare the Mayor of Alcamo Domenico Surdi and the events councilor Gaspare Benenati. “The manifestazione therefore presents itself as a structured promotion platform capable of activating a virtuous supply chain made up of wineries, artisans and hospitality operators. With the aim of surpassing last year’s results, the CiokoWine fest aims to demonstrate how collaboration between institutions and businesses can transform a simposio of flavors into a concrete opportunity for growth for the entire region” concludes mayor Domenico Surdi.
www.ciokowine.it
