UNESCO criteria for the declaration of viticultural regions as cultural landscape. Its application to the Spanish case

Abstract

Unesco has recognized eight cultural landscapes focused on vineyards as World Heritage Sites, all of them in Europe. These vineyards landscape, specifically included in the List because of the viticulture expression in territory, and others cultural landscape included because of the vineyards and also because of other scenery and cultural features, seem to stand out for their aesthetic quality, their deep tradition and their good adaptation to the requirements of the ecological environment and the market. But it is difficult to protect some vineyards and old cultural practices from extinction because of their lacking functionality and low adaptation capacity to the global market. Nevertheless, they contain valuable knowledge and traditions that, in some way, should receive protection and recognition. These landscapes should be granted some acknowledgement as important repositories of culture and tradition. By analysing the declaration files of those vineyards’ landscapes, and even those rejected or those that aspire to join them, we develop some observations for landscapes seeking inclusion on this list. At the same time, we defend a protection for the wine-growing landscapes of great cultural value, which are in danger of extinction because of the evolution of the modern vineyard, between aesthetics and functionality. Modern practices have often erased the "traditional" character of some vineyards, only recovered like an ornament and memory of the past.