Winegrowing landscapes as a universal heritage

These landscapes are remarkable for their beauty, but also for their cultural dimension. Winegrowing landscapes have been profoundly shaped by men, they are an expression of know-hows and traditions transmitted through generations, and places of exchange between human societies. Since 1997, 15 winegrowing landscapes have been acknowledged as being UNESCO universal heritage sites.

Set on a central limestone plateau, Saint-Emilion overlooks a winegrowing landscape made up of a mosaic of small plots. Its wines have been celebrated since the Middle ages. The medieval village, with its narrow streets and its Monolithic Church, belongs to the association of the “Most Beautiful Villages of France “

In northern Portugal, a breathtaking landscape: more than 9 000 terraces, built by generations of grape growers. The grapes are used to elaborate both red Douro wines and the famous Port wines, slowly matured in the immense cellars of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaïa at the mouth of the river.

The Lavaux wine region in Switzerland stretches along the banks of Lake Geneva. The vines are cultivated on steep, south-facing terraces heading down towards Lake Geneva. The terraces are supported by stone walls. The slopes are so steep that harvesting has to be done using cable cars, carriages on rails, or even helicopters.