Italy boasts the highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world (technically tied with China). From the north to the south, the country’s staggering 55 natural and cultural wonders, will amaze you: Venice and its lagoon, the proud Baroque towns of Sicily, cave dwellings in Matera, Florence’s historic city center full of remnants of the Renaissance, Mount Etna—Europe’s largest active volcano, and the first ever botanical garden in Padua are just some of those included on the long list. But, perhaps the sites that will astound all of your senses are its three World Heritage Wine Regions. Where else can you actually taste the traditions and natural beauty?
Enjoy learning more about these treasured UNESCO World Heritage wine regions, and get inspired for future travels! Salute!
Italy’s UNESCO World Heritage Wine Regions:
Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, Veneto
One of Italy’s newest UNESCO World Heritage sites is the landscape of Le Colline del Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene—the hills of Prosecco of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene—added in July 19, 2019. Found in the Veneto, just an hour’s drive from Venice, this wine region is home to the Glera grape and the wine it makes: Prosecco, a sparkling wine that sees its best and most expressive examples from the terraced hillside vineyards.
The World Heritage Committee deemed this beautiful viticultural region a World Heritage Site for its landscape “characterized by ‘hogback hills’ (ciglioni), forests, small villages and farmland that for centuries was shaped and adapted by man.”
Since the 1600s, Venetians have created a stunning checkerboard landscape through planting vines both parallel and vertically to the craggy hills, requiring 100% manual labor in the vineyard. In some areas of the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, one can also see the ‘Bellussera Technique” of vine training that creates a particular rhomboid grid structure which further contributes to the aesthetic of the landscape.
Some of my favorite Prosecco producers: Sorelle Bronca, Borgo Luce, Adami, Silvano Follador, Malibran, and Col Vetoraz.
Nearby UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Veneto: Venice + its lagoon, Verona, Vicenza + Palladian Villas, Botanical Garden of Padua, the 16th and 17th Century Works of Defense.
La Dolce Vigna’s Veneto Wine + Culture Tour:
Clients are guided through many of the Veneto’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Book your 2021 trip here.
Langhe-Roero and Monferrato, Piedmont
In 2014, the ‘Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato’ was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. Situated about an hour and a half’s drive southeast of Turin, this group of wine appellations boasts some of the finest wines coming out of Italy: namely, Barolo and Barbaresco.
In addition to the fog-kissed, ridge-lined landscape covered with vineyards, the Italian government stated on its UNESCO application that ‘Vine pollen has been found in the area dating from the 5th Century BC’ and wines from this region were favored by the ancient Romans, highlighting its long viticultural history.
The recent designation is a wonderful recognition of all the winemakers who continue to cultivate and preserve the landscape with its deep-rooted traditions!
Some of my favorite Barolo and Barbaresco Producers: Elio Altare, Chara Boschis - E. Pira & Figli, Ca’ del Baio, Oddero, Ruggeri Corsini, I Produttori di Barbaresco, Paolo Scavino and Elio Grasso.
Nearby UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Piedmont: The Residences of the Royal House of Savoy in Turin.
Love Castles and Barolo?
La Dolce Vigna’s Piedmont Wine + Culture Tour was made for you!
Pantelleria, Sicily
Closer to Africa than Italy, Pantelleria is a tiny volcanic island found between Sicily and Tunisia.
While technically not a World Heritage Site, Pantelleria’s terraced vite ad alberello (head-trained bush vines) are included on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The Phoenicians are thought to have brought this particular alberello-training to the island over 2500 years ago. The slightly dug-out base protects the vines from the extreme winds the island gets. (The name Pantelleria comes from the Arabic bent-el-rhia, meaning ‘daughter of the wind’.) The knowledge and skills needed to plant and care for these vineyards are orally handed down in families in the local dialect, as they have been for millennia.
Today, this vine-growing method is used on Pantelleria primarily to grow Zibibbo (also known as Moscato di Alessandria or Muscat of Alexandria), an ancient aromatic grape thought to have come from Egypt, which makes the island’s famous DOC wine: Passito di Pantelleria. This sweet dessert wine is made from sun-dried Zibibbo grapes (Zibibbo actually comes from an Arab word meaning raisins) and offers lucky drinkers its nectar of the gods.
From July to September, festivals are organized to celebrate and preserve this ancient tradition. Cheers to that!
An award-winning and easy-to-find Passito di Pantelleria: Donnafugata’s Ben Ryé.
Other UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Sicily: Mount Etna, the well-preserved mosaics of Villa Romana del Casale, Syracuse, Agrigento, the Arab-Norman churches of Monreale, Palermo and Cefalù and the Baroque Towns of Val di Noto, including Modica, Ragusa and Noto.
La Dolce Vigna’s Sicily Wine + Culture Tour:
Several of these UNESCO World Heritage Sites are included on this week-long exploration of Sicily’s main island. Pantelleria is not part of the trip, but a curated itinerary can be book together for you through La Dolce Vigna’s Trip Consulting options.
Check off a few more UNESCO World Heritage Sites by joining one of these Wine + Culture Tours!
Ciao! My name is Leslie Rosa, founder of La Dolce Vigna.
I help wine + culture lovers who are looking for fun, insightful and authentic trips but who don’t know where to begin. As an art-curator-turned-sommelier, my passion is to create immersive experiences and curated itineraries in which each day tells a story and offers an in-depth look at the history and culture of a particular region.
Whether you are interested in a small group tour with other cultured travelers, a private trip with friends and family, or a bespoke itinerary for you to explore on your own, I would be happy to create something special for you!