Heroic and mountain viticulture nominated to become UNESCO World Heritage Site

Heroic winegrowing means that it is produced in “extreme” vineyards, at an altitude of more than 500 meters above sea level, where the incline of the land is more than 30%, and the vineyards are planted on terraces and stone steps, characteristic of a mostly mountain viticulture, but also found on small islands. This is what “heroic” winegrowing is, as defined by CERVIM (Center for Research Studies and Enhancement for Mountain Viticulture), which enhances and symbolizes many areas of Italian wine, from Valtellina to Pantelleria, and it is now a candidate to become UNESCO Heritage. This is the message that was relaunched at the conference in Milan a few days ago, titled, “Heroic wine the past and the future: the present and the UNESCO nomination”, promoted by CERVIM and ERSAF (Regional Agency for agriculture and forestry services in Lombardy). “Now, more than ever, it is necessary to maintain and enhance the vineyards in extreme areas such as the Alps, where the typical native vines are growing. Besides being a source of income, they produce very high quality wines that have specific sensory characteristics and represent a solid sign of biodiversity”, emphasized the president of CERVIM, Roberto Gaudio.