“With 55 sites included in the list as of 2019, Italy has more designations than any other country in the world (see the complete list on the Italian Wikipedia here). Other sites include the archeological excavation at Pompei in Campania and the viticultural landscape of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato in Piedmont.

The hills of Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene were considered but not included in the list during last year’s meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Committee. They are now the eighth site to receive the designation in Italy’s Veneto region.”

“The newly inscribed site — officially listed as “Le Colline del Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene” — joins 54 other Italian locations on the UNESCO list which now contains 1,121 sites in all. In explaining the inclusion of the hills of Prosecco, UNESCO wrote, “Located in north-eastern Italy, the site includes part of the vinegrowing landscape of the Prosecco wine production area. The landscape is characterized by ‘hogback’ hills, ciglioni — small plots of vines on narrow grassy terraces — forests, small villages and farmland. For centuries, this rugged terrain has been shaped and adapted by man. Since the 17th century, the use of ciglioni has created a particular chequerboard landscape consisting of rows of vines parallel and vertical to the slopes. In the 19th century, the bellussera technique of training the vines contributed to the aesthetic characteristics of the landscape.”

Italy’s best-known sparkling wine has risen to be the party fizz of choice, but producers are striving ever harder to unlock the terroir differences that can make the top-quality DOCG wines stand apart from the rest. Michaela Morris reports on the latest developments, and recommends 10 top examples