UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
---|---|
Location | Province of Cuneo, Province of Asti, Province of Alessandria, Italy |
Includes |
|
Criteria | Cultural: (iii), (v) |
Reference | 1390rev |
Inscription | 2014 (38th Session) |
Area | 10,789 ha (41.66 sq mi) |
Buffer zone | 76,249 ha (294.40 sq mi) |
Website | www |
Coordinates | 44°36′31″N7°57′49″E / 44.60861°N 7.96361°E |
Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato is the official name of a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising "five distinct wine-growing areas with outstanding landscapes" plus the Castle of Grinzane Cavour in the region of Piedmont, Italy. [1]
The site, which extends over hilly areas of Langhe and Montferrat, is one of the most important wine producing zones in Italy.
Located in the center of Piedmont region (North West of Italy), the site is inscribed as a "cultural landscape", since it is a result of the combined work of nature and man. The site is inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List thanks to the outstanding value of its wine culture, which has shaped the landscape over the centuries. [2]
The site includes five distinct wine-growing areas of outstanding landscapes and the Castle of Grinzane Cavour, an emblematic name in vineyards development and Italian history. It is located in the southern part of Piedmont, between River Po and the Ligurian Apennines. It includes a full range of technical and economic processes related to viticulture and wine-making that characterized the region for centuries. They found in the area also pollen dated to the 5th century BC, when Piedmont was a place of contact and exchange between the Etruscans and Celts: in fact Etruscan and Celtic words, particularly those related to the wine, are still used in the local dialect. During the Roman Empire, Pliny the Elder mentioned the region as one of the most favorable for the cultivation of vineyards in ancient Italy and Strabo wrote about its barrels. [1]
WHS ID | Site name | Surface area (ha) | Buffer zone (ha) | Coordinates |
---|---|---|---|---|
1390-001 | Langa of Barolo | 3051 | 59306 [3] | 44°36′31″N7°57′49″E / 44.60861°N 7.96361°E |
1390-002 | Grinzane Cavour castle | 7 | 44°39′7″N7°59′39″E / 44.65194°N 7.99417°E | |
1390-003 | Hills of Barbaresco | 891 | 44°43′14″N8°5′15″E / 44.72056°N 8.08750°E | |
1390-004 | Nizza Monferrato and Barbera | 2307 | 44°47′47″N8°18′18″E / 44.79639°N 8.30500°E | |
1390-005 | Canelli and the Asti Spumante | 1971 | 44°44′17″N8°14′59″E / 44.73806°N 8.24972°E | |
1390-006 | Monferrato of the Infernot | 2561 | 16943 | 45°3′3″N8°23′23″E / 45.05083°N 8.38972°E |
Total | 10789 | 76249 |
Piedmont is a region of Northwest Italy, one of the 20 regions of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east and the Aosta Valley region to the northwest; it also borders Switzerland to the northeast and France to the west. It has an area of 25,402 km2 (9,808 sq mi) making it the second largest region of Italy after Sicily and a population of 4,269,714 as of 31 January 2021. The capital of Piedmont is Turin.
Barolo is a red Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) wine produced in the northern Italian region of Piedmont. It is made from the nebbiolo grape and is often described as one of Italy's greatest wines.
Nebbiolo is an Italian red wine grape variety predominantly associated with its native Piedmont region, where it makes the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) wines of Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero, Gattinara, Carema and Ghemme. Nebbiolo is thought to derive its name from the Italian nebbia or Piedmontese nebia, meaning "fog". During harvest, which generally takes place late in October, a deep, intense fog sets into the Langhe region where many Nebbiolo vineyards are located. Alternative explanations refers to the fog-like glaucous veil that forms over the berries as they reach maturity, or that perhaps the name is derived instead from the Italian word nobile, meaning noble. Nebbiolo produces lightly-colored red wines which can be highly tannic in youth with scents of tar and roses. As they age, the wines take on a characteristic brick-orange hue at the rim of the glass and mature to reveal other aromas and flavors such as violets, tar, wild herbs, cherries, raspberries, truffles, tobacco, and prunes. Nebbiolo wines can require years of aging to balance the tannins with other characteristics.
Dolcetto is a black Italian wine grape variety widely grown in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. The Italian word dolcetto means "little sweet one", but it is not certain that the name originally carried any reference to the grape’s sugar levels: it is possible that it derives from the name of the hills where the vine is cultivated. In any case the wines produced are nearly always dry. They can be tannic and fruity with moderate, or decidedly low, levels of acidity and are typically meant to be consumed within a few years after release.
Montferrat is part of the region of Piedmont in northern Italy. It comprises roughly the modern provinces of Alessandria and Asti. Montferrat is one of the most important wine districts of Italy. It also has a strong literary tradition, including the 18th century Asti-born poet and dramatist Vittorio Alfieri and the Alessandrian Umberto Eco.
Alba is a town and comune of Piedmont, Italy, in the Province of Cuneo. It is one of the main cities in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato. The town is famous for its white truffle and wine production. The confectionery group Ferrero is based there. The city joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in October 2017.
The Langhe is a hilly area to the south and east of the river Tanaro in the province of Cuneo and in the province of Asti in Piedmont, northern Italy.
The Province of Alessandria is an Italian province, with a population of some 425,000, which forms the southeastern part of the region of Piedmont. The provincial capital is the city of Alessandria.
Asti is a sparkling white Italian wine that is produced throughout southeastern Piedmont but is particularly focused around the towns of Asti and Alba. Since 1993 the wine has been classified as a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) and as of 2004 was Italy's largest producing appellation. On an average vintage more than ten times as much Asti is produced in Piedmont than the more well-known Piedmontese red wine Barolo.
Canelli is a comune (municipality) of 10,459 inhabitants in the Province of Asti in the Italian region of Piedmont.
Govone is an Italian town of 2,294 inhabitants in the province of Cuneo in Piedmont.
Nizza Monferrato is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Asti in the Italian region of Piedmont, located about 60 kilometres (37 mi) southeast of Turin and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) southeast of Asti.
Roero is a geographical area in the north-east corner of the province of Cuneo in Piedmont, north-west Italy. This hilly region is known for its wines and for its fruit production: particularly the peaches of Canale and the local variety of pear known as Madernassa which originated in the late eighteenth century in Vezza d'Alba. Strawberries are also grown.
Piemonte wine is the range of Italian wines made in the region of Piedmont in the northwestern corner of Italy. The best-known wines from the region include Barolo and Barbaresco. They are made from the Nebbiolo grape. These wines are ideal for storage and a well-aged Barolo for instance may leave a feeling of drinking velvet because the tannins are polished and integrated more and more into the wine. As the wine matures the colour becomes more brownish and rust-red.
Arneis is a white Italian wine grape variety originating from Piedmont, Italy. It is most commonly found in the hills of the Roero, northwest of Alba, where it is part of the white Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) wines of Roero. It can also be used to produce DOC wines in Langhe. Arneis is so called because it is regarded as a somewhat difficult variety to grow. It is a crisp and floral varietal, and has been grown for centuries in the region. The white wines made from the Arneis grape tend to be dry and full bodied with notes of pears and apricots.
Alcohol preferences in Europe vary from country to country between beer, wine or spirits. These preferences are traditionally associated with certain regions. Hence, the Central European pattern of alcohol consumption is associated with beer-drinking, the Mediterranean pattern with wine-drinking and the Eastern or Northern European pattern with spirit-drinking countries. However, traditional preferences do not necessarily correspond to current drinking habits, as beer has become the most popular alcoholic drink world-wide.
Grinzane Cavour Castle is a fortification in Grinzane Cavour, Piedmont, northern Italy.
Marc Lanteri is a Michelin star chef, born in Tende, in the French Alps, currently residing in the Alba region of Northern Italy. He is the executive chef of Castello di Grinzane Cavour. Lanteri was awarded a Michelin star at Al Castello di Grinzane Cavour.