A Manifesto to promote the culture and work of heroic viticulture, which takes place in particular conditions of altitude and climate, on terraces, steps, land with a slope of more than 30 percent, located over 500 meters above sea level, widespread in Italy from Trentino-Alto Adige to Sardinia, from Valle d'Aosta to the island of Pantelleria, from Valtellina to the Amalfi Coast, from the Riviera di Ponente to the Costa Viola, from the Cinque Terre to the slopes of Etna. A heritage of vines that have survived wars, pestilence, the scourge of phylloxera and which, thanks to the tenacity and passion of some small-large winemakers, have been rescued from oblivion and which are still today able to give wines of excellent quality that speak of men, traditions and territory.
In fact, most of these realities cultivate native vines only partially integrated with international ones capable of producing unique wines full of history and suggestions, rare and precious wines. Processed by Cervim, Research Center for studies on the protection, coordination and enhancement of mountain agriculture, il "Manifesto of heroic viticulture", presented at Vins Extrêmes, the international exhibition of extreme wines in Forte di Bard will be the protagonist and shared for the 2020 interior on the occasion of the events and oenological exhibitions. Heroic wines are protected in Italy by a law entered into force on 12 January 2017 which in ninety articles collects all the previous legislation on the subject of wine.
In particular, article 7 provides for the protection of these vineyards and aims to promote restoration, recovery and safeguard interventions of those vineyards that insist on areas subject to risk of hydrogeological instability or having particular landscape value. «The Manifesto of heroic viticulture - underlines Cevim president Roberto Gaudio - represents a proactive synthesis of what extreme vineyards and the daily work of winemakers are, to the benefit of the environment, landscape and biodiversity. A Manifesto which is also a commitment that the world of wine has made to promote this type of viticulture and which will be signed and shared by institutions, protection consortia, individual wine producers and associations, the world of research and professionals».
Among the major events at Cervim in the first part of the year, the Vinitaly (in Verona from 19 to 22 April) and the VII International Congress on Mountain and Steep Slope Viticulture, to be held in Vila Real in Portugal from 14 to 16 May, organized by Cervim, the University of Tras-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), by the Associação para o Desenvolvimento da Viticultura Duriense (ADVID) and by the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto.
Here is the "HEROIC VITICULTURE MANIFESTO"
Heroic viticulture is an extraordinary expression of man's ability to give a sustainable future to people who work in peculiar and difficult geographical areas.
The heroic vineyards represent a monument to man's work and to the conservation of the territory and must also be protected for their historical, cultural and above all landscape interest.
Heroic viticulture plays a fundamental role in the conservation of the environment in delicate and fragile areas, preserving it from abandonment and the aggressions of climate change.
The vines, cultivated in heroic areas, grow in suitable environments and preserve varietal biodiversity, from which original wines of high organoleptic quality are obtained.
The cultivation of vines in the heroic areas is a fundamental activity for the maintenance of agriculture and the presence of man in sites with permanent structural difficulties, as well as for a correct relationship between the various productive activities for the benefit of the circular economy.
Heroic viticulture with its unique landscapes represents an added value for the benefit of tourism and related activities.
Heroic viticulture must find adequate recognition within the framework of a coherent and comprehensive policy in favor of its territories and their sustainable development.
The production of heroic wines is more expensive than in other environments. On the market, their origin must be clearly recognizable and valued through the use of the appropriate “CERVIM – Viticoltura Eroica” brand so as to guarantee both the right remuneration for the producer and recognition for the consumer.
The territories affected by heroic viticulture must have the appropriate international recognitions, UNESCO and FAO, in addition to national ones.
For the purpose of protecting and promoting heroic viticulture, the reference institution at an international level is CERVIM.
