Food and Wine | This Key Prosecco-Producing Region Is Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site
“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.”