The Hills of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Become a World Heritage Site

“Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration.”

—UNESCO

The terrain of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene hills is one of Italy’s key areas noted for “heroic viticulture” due to the challenges of growing and harvesting grapes on such steep slopes

The 1972 United Nations World Heritage Convention created an international program for identifying the world’s most important and irreplaceable natural wonders and cultural treasures, with the intent of bringing those sites to global attention and providing assistance in ensuring those resources would survive for future generations. In July 2019, Le Colline del Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene—the hills that define the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG—were added to that list, recognizing the verdant and vertiginous slopes that rise from the Veneto plain and contribute to the exceptional quality of the wine made from the area’s vineyards. We salute the denomination with some pictures of the area.

Vineyards in the vicinity of Farro di Soligo and Santo Stefano

A stone marking the subzone of Cartizze, the most famous part of the DOCG

The 14th-century Sala dei Battuti, part of the cathedral in Conegliano, is richly decorated in frescos

The tiny Santuario di Collagù in Farra di Soligo sits above the city of Valdobbiadene

The Castello di San Salvatore in Susegana near Conegliano is the site of the annual Vino in Villa program celebrating the release of the latest vintage

At an event heralding the nomination of Conegliano Valdobbiadene for World Heritage status in 2017, the committee led by Veneto president Luca Zaia (in gray suit behind banner) enjoyed numerous toasts with—what else?