Italy lists Soave in national register

The vineyards of Soave are the first in Italy to have been listed in the country’s National Register for historical and rural landscapes.

The National Register of rural landscapes of historical interest and traditional agricultural practices and lore, was set up by Italy’s Ministry of Agriculture in 2012.

The register considered 123 production zones in the Italian agricultural sector and narrowed that list down to 35 areas. The Veronese DOC was finally entered into the register as the “Vine-clad Hills of Soave” – the first Italian wine region to be recognised by the Italian government – though Piedmont has the more prestigious UNESCO World Heritage designation.

“This is a great result for the Soave denomination”, remarked Aldo Lorenzoni, director of the Producers’ Consortium, “which sees its primogeniture as a historic vine-growing region recognized at a national level.

“This accolade, apart from highlighting the historical and unchanging importance of the zone’s natural environment, lays the foundations for a new approach (especially from legislators), to help redefine the instruments for supporting viticulture in areas in which conditions are similarly special and extreme. It is to be hoped that – in the very near future – it will be possible for vine-growers in hilly areas to have access to specific types of financial backing.”

The first map detailing the vineyards of Soave dates back to 1816 and the vineyards today cover 1,700 hectares, planted next to “historic architecture” (such as the castle of Soave itself) and roadside shrines. The use of the Pergola training system and dry stone wall terraces was also cited.