Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato

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Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Langhe.jpg
Location Province of Cuneo, Province of Asti, Province of Alessandria, Italy
Includes
Criteria Cultural: (iii), (v)
Reference 1390rev
Inscription2014 (38th Session)
Area10,789 ha (41.66 sq mi)
Buffer zone76,249 ha (294.40 sq mi)
Website www.paesaggivitivinicoli.it/en
Coordinates 44°36′31″N7°57′49″E / 44.60861°N 7.96361°E / 44.60861; 7.96361
Italy relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Location of Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato in Italy

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]

Contents

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]

Description

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]

Grinzane Cavour castle Grinzane cavour castello.jpg
Grinzane Cavour castle

Sites

WHS
ID
Site nameSurface
area (ha)
Buffer
zone (ha)
Coordinates
1390-001 Langa of Barolo 305159306 [3] 44°36′31″N7°57′49″E / 44.60861°N 7.96361°E / 44.60861; 7.96361
1390-002 Grinzane Cavour castle 7 44°39′7″N7°59′39″E / 44.65194°N 7.99417°E / 44.65194; 7.99417
1390-003Hills of Barbaresco 891 44°43′14″N8°5′15″E / 44.72056°N 8.08750°E / 44.72056; 8.08750
1390-004 Nizza Monferrato and Barbera 2307 44°47′47″N8°18′18″E / 44.79639°N 8.30500°E / 44.79639; 8.30500
1390-005 Canelli and the Asti Spumante 1971 44°44′17″N8°14′59″E / 44.73806°N 8.24972°E / 44.73806; 8.24972
1390-006 Monferrato of the Infernot 256116943 45°3′3″N8°23′23″E / 45.05083°N 8.38972°E / 45.05083; 8.38972
Total1078976249

See also

Related Research Articles

Piedmont Region of Italy

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

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 Variety of Italian red wine grape

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 Variety of grape

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 Geographic region of northern Italy

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, Piedmont Town in Piedmont, Italy

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.

Langhe UNESCO World Heritage Site in Piedmont, Italy

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.

Province of Alessandria Province of Italy

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Asti wine

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 Comune in Piedmont, Italy

Canelli is a comune (municipality) of 10,459 inhabitants in the Province of Asti in the Italian region of Piedmont.

Govone Comune in Piedmont, Italy

Govone is an Italian town of 2,294 inhabitants in the province of Cuneo in Piedmont.

Nizza Monferrato Comune in Piedmont, Italy

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 UNESCO World Heritage Site in Piedmont, Italy

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) Range of Italian wines made in the region of Piedmont in the northwestern corner of Italy

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 Variety of grape

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.

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Grinzane Cavour Castle

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.

References

  1. 1 2 "Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato". World Heritage Centre. UNESCO . Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  2. "Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato". Association for the Heritage of the Vineyard Landscape of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  3. "Nomination file No 1390 rev: Vineyard Landscape of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato (Italy)" (PDF). World Heritage Centre. UNESCO. p. 314. Retrieved 23 April 2015.