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Another little piece of Italian culture has become part of UNESCO. Italy has become the first country in the world to have a farming practice entered on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
The country, which already boasts 50 UNESCO World Heritage sites - has been recognized for the farming practice of vine ''sapling,'' known in Italian as alberello. This method is carried out on the Sicilian island of Pantelleria where it is used to cultivate Zibibbo, a white wine grape use to make sweet wine.
Unlike other places where the wine is produced, grape farmers in Pantelleria continue the ancient tradition of the vine “sapling,” which involves over ripening the grapes on the vine then hanging them to dry over wooden grates. This increases the sugar content without the addition of ethyl alcohol.
On November 26, the meeting of UNESCO hailed the entry of the Italian bid with great participation. The representative of Italy to UNESCO, Vincenza Lo Monaco, commented:
"From Pantelleria arrives today a new recognition for Italy. This milestone should be a further stimulus and an invitation, especially in view of the EXPO, to believe more in the potential of our traditions in order to create sustainable development, relying on the culture of our territories. "
