When a controversial landscape plan released this summer introduced new limitations on vineyards, wine producers protested (see theflr.net/odlakp) and the issue began making both regional and international headlines.
Now, in response to the ‘war on winemakers,’ president of the Tuscan Region, Enrico Rossi, plans to propose that UNESCO recognize the Tuscan landscape as a World Heritage Site.
Details on how ‘Tuscan landscape’ will be delineated have not been announced, but the issue is sure to arise, given that the entire Val d’Orcia region, known for its wines, is already a World Heritage Site.
The New York Times published a full-page feature highlighting individual winemakers’ worries, spurring Rossi to state that Tuscany can find a balanced solution: ‘I can affirm that on our side, there is no intention of impeding growth of the viticulture sector. We will find a way to meet in the middle in this ongoing discussion.’ He went on to explain that a UNESCO designation would benefit ‘the agricultural economy, the tourism industry and the region’s beauty, without which Tuscany has no future.’
Rossi also noted that the New York Times’ coverage of the plan’s implications proves that viticulture is integral to the region’s identity. Such visible, international interest in the issue indicates ‘that we’ve made the right choice in protecting and valorizing our landscape,’ he declared.
