GAMBERO ROSSO 39 JULY-AUGUST 2019COLLINE DEL PROSECCOGAMBERO ROSSO 39 MAY 2019UNESCO RECOGNITION. IT’S NOW VALPOLICELLA’S TURN
Veneto is now looking for the third vic-
tory. After the Cortina Olympics and
Unesco for the hills of Conegliano Val-
dobbiadene, the region is already think-
ing about the candidacy of the practice
of withering Amarone della Valpoli-
cella. The idea is not new. Already two
years ago the regional governor Luca
Zaia, from the Vinitaly podium, had
launched the challenge, immediately
collected by the Consortium of Wines
of Valpolicella. But after a few official
meetings, things had not moved ahead.
“Now, once the priority of the Coneg-
liano practice is over, we trust there is a
greater concentration on our candida-
cy,” the director of the Consorzio Olga
Bussinello (photo) tells Tre Bicchieri.
“We know that this is a long journey,
which cannot be improvised,” she con-
tinues, “but we trust that the example
and advice of our Eastern Veneto cous-
ins can be useful to quickly reach the
goal.” In this specific case, unlike the
Hills of Prosecco Superiore, this would
not be a landscape, but a practice,
which would therefore fall between the
intangible assets of historical and cul-tural significance. On the same Heritage list belongs the Pantelleria sapling
technique. The next step will be to identify the subjects involved to form the
temporary association of purpose that will then have to deal with the dos-
sier: “Without a doubt there must be the 19 Municipalities that fall within the
Amarone area, with the Consortium acting as the leader, “explains Bussinello,”
but we also count on the involvement of other local authorities. Meanwhile,
we will try to meet with the Region to understand what kind of investment it
will want to make on the candidacy”. A nomination that for the Consortium
will serve, not only to create a system around the wine, as a driver of arrivals
on the territory, but also to armour and protect the Amarone system: “The
recognition could give us a hand in the work of defending the denomination,
excluding all the myriad of borderline situations, with which we are strug-
gling to protect our production”. Here we go again, therefore. From East to
West, with wine that continues to act as a centre of gravity.
TERRITORY AND SUSTAINABILITY
The land management plan has two
main objectives: protection of the vital-
ity of the rural economy and good man-
agement of the perceived rural land-
scape; the protection of the testimonial
portions of the agricultural landscape.
“Themes” clarifies the president of
the Consortium “that are implemented
through the adoption of the so-called Tech-
nical Regulations, drawn up between Mu-
nicipalities and the Veneto Region on the
management of the rural landscape. The
standard will be adopted in the municipal
development plans, in order to provide the
entire territory with the same manage-
ment tools”.
One of the most debated issues when
it comes to Prosecco (Superior or Doc
that it is) environmental protection
is linked to the territorial theme. The
candidacy, in fact, was accompanied
by many controversies relating to the
abuse of pesticides in the vineyards.
Controversy that did not spare even
the arrival of the expected recognition.
First the coverage by the Report TV pro-
gramme (it was 2016) that accused the
whole Prosecco system (Doc, Docg and
Asolo), then the request of some envi-
ronmental associations to withdraw the
candidacy. The Prosecco Superiore, for
its part, responds with a growing course
of attention to the environment: since
2011 it has adopted a viticultural proto-
col that regulates the production phases
and provides, among other things, just
this year the implementation of the
ban on the use of glyphosate, an active
substance contained in pesticides, but
still admitted by the European Union.
Not only. By 2013, the Consortium
had already excluded all formulations
containing products based on Folpet,
Mancozeb, Dithianon. The objective is
to achieve the Sqnpi sustainability cer-
tification (national quality system for
integrated production), with the pos-