The profile emerging from some studies (Nonisma, 2008), depicts wine as a global beverage in a strong evolution in which growth and competitiveness move forward on tracks heading towards the same direction. In the last years, export doubled its value and in 2007 was up to 3,4 billion euros (Nonisma, 2008). The challenge is set on the quality of product and on the affirmation of a brand for each kind of wine and producer. The emergence of countries from the southern hemisphere and the case of China, where vineyards grew by 200% in a decade reaching the values of USA or Australia, both demonstrate the opposition in winemaking between countries of the “Old Europe” and countries of the “New World”. The former are custodians of a centuries old tradition, respecting the ties between terroir, wine quality and local cultures, identity values; the latter rather glorify the market, brands, standardized products (Rouvellac et alii, 2011). Three Northern Italian Regions, Valle d'Aosta, Piedmont and Liguria, have specific identities though united by deep geographical and historical common traits. They are traditional wine-growing regions, producing several renowned wines, often in difficult areas. The ‘heroic’ viticulture is a cultural element of the wine-growing system in all the three regions, each having a share of mountain and slope areas. Liguria and Valle d'Aosta are much smaller regions than Piedmont; they have a big share of mountain area of the total regional surface. The paper aims describing the diversity of wine landscapes in the three regions, even before climate change and consumers' behavior. Data have been collected following the Grounded theory, i.e. retrieving data from very diverse sources, including direct observations. Results are that the reality of the heroic viticulture is a fundamental part of the local wine-making in Valle d’Aosta and Liguria. As highlighted in previous contributions for similar geographical areas (Badiali, 2009; Salgaro, 2009), the landscape is the result of the natural and anthropic dynamics shaping during the ages a path that represents the basis for local culture and identity.
The vineyard landscape expression of terroir and promotion of territory
PIOLETTI A
2021-01-01
Abstract
The profile emerging from some studies (Nonisma, 2008), depicts wine as a global beverage in a strong evolution in which growth and competitiveness move forward on tracks heading towards the same direction. In the last years, export doubled its value and in 2007 was up to 3,4 billion euros (Nonisma, 2008). The challenge is set on the quality of product and on the affirmation of a brand for each kind of wine and producer. The emergence of countries from the southern hemisphere and the case of China, where vineyards grew by 200% in a decade reaching the values of USA or Australia, both demonstrate the opposition in winemaking between countries of the “Old Europe” and countries of the “New World”. The former are custodians of a centuries old tradition, respecting the ties between terroir, wine quality and local cultures, identity values; the latter rather glorify the market, brands, standardized products (Rouvellac et alii, 2011). Three Northern Italian Regions, Valle d'Aosta, Piedmont and Liguria, have specific identities though united by deep geographical and historical common traits. They are traditional wine-growing regions, producing several renowned wines, often in difficult areas. The ‘heroic’ viticulture is a cultural element of the wine-growing system in all the three regions, each having a share of mountain and slope areas. Liguria and Valle d'Aosta are much smaller regions than Piedmont; they have a big share of mountain area of the total regional surface. The paper aims describing the diversity of wine landscapes in the three regions, even before climate change and consumers' behavior. Data have been collected following the Grounded theory, i.e. retrieving data from very diverse sources, including direct observations. Results are that the reality of the heroic viticulture is a fundamental part of the local wine-making in Valle d’Aosta and Liguria. As highlighted in previous contributions for similar geographical areas (Badiali, 2009; Salgaro, 2009), the landscape is the result of the natural and anthropic dynamics shaping during the ages a path that represents the basis for local culture and identity.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
