A productive and environmental heritage to protect, enhance, support
It is that of the heroic vineyards and of the historical vineyards to which it is entirely dedicated, based on article 7 paragraph 3 of the Consolidated Wine Act where the vine and the wine-growing areas are considered cultural heritage, the Decree signed by Minister Teresa Bellanova in consultation with the Ministers Franceschini and Costa.
And that finally makes the long-awaited path concrete so that the interested parties can submit to the Regions of competence the applications for the recognition of historic or heroic vineyards.
As indicated by the Decree, vineyards are defined as heroic that "fall in areas subject to hydrogeological risk, or located in areas where the orographic conditions create impediments to mechanization, in areas of particular landscape and environmental value, as well as vineyards located in small islands" .
On the other hand, "those vineyards whose presence, reported in a given surface / parcel, is prior to 1960" are considered historical. Vineyards whose cultivation is characterized by the use of traditional practices and techniques "linked to the local physical and climatic environments, which show strong links with social and economic systems".
In the five articles, the standard, alongside the definition, addresses and defines the criteria for identifying historic and heroic vineyards, and those for defining the types of interventions. For example, without prejudice to the areas already identified by the regional landscape plans, heroic vineyards must have at least one requirement between: land slope greater than 30%; average altitude above 500 meters above sea level, excluding those located on a plateau; arrangement of systems on terraces and steps; viticulture of small islands.
As far as historic vineyards are concerned, they are identified either by the use of traditional cultivation forms linked to the place of production, or by the presence of "historical hydraulic or agricultural arrangements of particular landscape value".
The vineyards of the landscapes registered in the National Register of rural landscapes of historical interest are also considered historic, provided that viticulture constitutes the reason for the registration and the vineyard constitutes the main reason that justified its inclusion; those that belong to territories that have obtained the recognition of exceptional universal value from UNESCO and the criterion of inclusion in the list is due exclusively or in a complementary way to viticulture; those that fall into areas protected by regional laws or identified by landscape plans for the protection of specific wine-growing territories.
"From today we can finally count on a law that identifies, supports and enhances these particular and delicate categories of vineyards and therefore the winemakers and all those who consider it a heritage of extraordinary importance from the historical, environmental, productive, cultural and economic point of view, work to protect it, preserve it, deliver it to new generations, "says Minister Teresa Bellanova. “These enthusiasts of our environmental heritage, these producers will also be able to count on specific resources and put in place interventions aimed at enhancing and promoting heroic or historical viticulture production also through the use of a national brand, which we will define with a subsequent provision.
Above all ", concludes the Minister," also with this Decree we reiterate the relevance and excellence of a sector that represents an extraordinary heritage of biodiversity and which, over the centuries, has built and characterized the Italian landscape in a very evident way.
Knowledge and skills that we want to support with determination, paying our thanks to these winemakers for the daily work and effort to defend their vineyards and a history that is the heritage of all ".