Inspiration from two of the country’s most famous wine regions – Roero and Prosecco

“Another highly noted new site is Le Colline del Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene in northeastern Italy, part of the vine growing landscape and Prosecco wine production area. A series of hills with small plots of vines on the edge of narrow terraces (ciglioni), some forests, villages and farmland, the rugged terrain has been cultivated for centuries. Since the 17th century, the use of ciglioni has created a breathtaking checkerboard landscape.”

“Be honest. When you think of Prosecco, what do you think of? An affordable replacement for Champagne? A festive beverage to be sipped during your Italian vacations? A key ingredient in Aperol spritzes (themselves beverages best consumed in Italy), fun while you’re there, but okay to leave behind? At least that’s what I thought until I visited the Prosecco region of Italy and tasted what may have been my first proper Prosecco. Garbara Cartizze has earned no small number of distinctions. It is fruity but quite structured, and it has some delightful little bubbles.
It’s also unlike much of what gets exported under the label of Prosecco. Some years ago, in a somewhat controversial move, the Italian government decided to allow makers of sparkling wine anywhere in the northeast of Italy call their product prosecco. Some of this is very nice sparkling wine. But Prosecco purists will tell you that it’s not Prosecco.”

“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.”