Winegrowing landscapes as a universal heritage
The World Heritage List of UNESCO includes sites that the World Heritage Committee considers to have an Outstanding Universal Value.
Since 1992, UNESCO World Heritage status has rewarded landscapes in the same way as monuments and sites
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.
France : Burgundy, Côte de Beaune
Au fil de la route, entre Dijon et Beaune, puis jusqu’à Santenay au Sud, s’égrènent les villages les plus célèbres de la Bourgogne viticole, sur les Côte de Beaune et Côte de Nuits. Le vignoble est fait d’un patchwork de parcelles minuscules, que l’on appelle ici des « climats », souvent entourées de murs de pierres sèches ou de haies.
France : Saint-Emilion
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 “
Portugal : Haut Douro
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.
Suisse : Lavaux
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.
Exhibition created by Véronique Lemoine, Scientific director of La Cité du Vin.
La Cité du Vin
