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FEATURES | News

UNESCO World Heritage for ungrafted vines?

Jane Anson, November 2022

First the baguette receives UNESCO world heritage recognition, next up ungrafted vines?

That’s certainly the hope of the Francs de Pied association, that gathered over 200 winemakers, scientists, sponsors and local dignitaries, including H.S.H Prince Albert II, on November 22nd at the Musée Oceonographique de Monaco.

This young association, founded by Loïc Pasquet of Liber Pater and inaugurated in June 2022, hopes next year to launch an official label recognising wines made with ungrafted vines across Europe. It is also looking to achieve UNESCO World Heritage ‘intangible heritage’ status for the vines – following the French gastronomic meal in 2010, and the baguette just this week.

Oliver-Hentri Sambucci, heritage consultant with UNESCO and speaking in Monaco, was open to the idea. ‘There is something in this idea of ungrafted vines, connecting to heritage and history of our wine regions, that could resonate with UNESCO’.

Applications take an average of ten years to move through the process, with seven being ‘the absolute minimum’ said Sambucci.

The tasting dinner at the Musée Oceonographique honoured some of the greatest Francs de Pied wines, recognised for their rarity and remarkable taste. The winegrowers – including Andrea Polidoro for Contrada Contro, Kostis Dalamaras for Dalamara, Bernard Bouvier for Thibault Liger-Beliar, Antonio Capaldo for Feudi San Gregorio, Egon Muller for Egon Muller Scharzhof and Loic Pasquet for Liber Pater – presented their wines in person during the dinner.

Also present were Christian Garcia, chef of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco and President of the Club des Chefs des Chefs, Guillaume Gomez former chef of the Élysée Palace and now personal representative of the President of the French republic for gastronomy and food and H.E. Laurent Stefanini, ambassador of France to Monaco.

‘Vines have been used to produce wine for at least 8,000 years,’ said Pasquet during the evening. ‘It was only 130 years ago that we began using rootstocks, and by doing so changed the nature of vitis vinifera. This association wants to save the heritage and spirit of ancient wine. We are drinking tonight wine from some countries where ungrafted vines are still illegal in theory, and it has meant that many indigenous grape varieties have been abandoned over the years in favour of standardised taste. The winemakers tonight want to support and celebrate biodiversity, and to uphold our winemaking heritage’.

JANE ANSON INSIDE BORDEAUX
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