Heroic viticulture, signed the Decree: in Italy more protection and enhancement for heroic vineyards and winemakers

The heroic Italian viticulture finally has its implementing decree. More protection and enhancement for a wine segment that from the Alps to Pantelleria, represents high quality, biodiversity and a landscape and environmental heritage of inestimable value. Great satisfaction of Cervim for the Decree, signed by the Minister for Agricultural Policies Teresa Bellanova, in agreement with the Ministers Dario Franceschini (Cultural Heritage) and Sergio Costa (Environment), entirely dedicated to heroic viticulture, which makes a long-awaited result concrete, following article 7 paragraph 3 of the Consolidated Text of Wine where the vine and the wine-growing territories are considered cultural heritage. The wine-grower can now submit applications for the recognition of heroic vineyards to their regions.

A decree that is concretized thanks to the work of Cervim and that reports the definition of heroic viticulture and the characteristics elaborated and used by Cervim itself. As the Decree indicates, heroic vineyards are defined as those vineyards that have at least one of the following requirements: in slope more than 30%; in altitude above 500 meters above sea level, excluding those located on a plateau; in terraces or steps; viticulture of small islands".

Great satisfaction for the President Cervim Roberto Gaudio, who has worked over the years for this important result, before the Law 12 December 2016, n. 238 "Organic discipline of the cultivation of vines and the production and trade of wine" and then to the Decree, first not implemented, until today’s signing of the three ministers. «It is a historic day for all heroic viticulture - comments Mr Gaudio -. From today are established those who are the principles and requirements of heroic viticulture, thanks to an implementing decree that will give even more strength to a segment of Italian and international viticulture increasingly important in terms of appeal and satisfaction of consumers, experts and winelovers, and especially for the important role it plays from the point of view of landscape and environment. We also hope that adequate resources will be allocated to give strength and application to this Decree, which should be directed precisely to the restoration, recovery, maintenance and safeguarding of heroic vineyards that use mostly native vines».