EU Commissioner Proposes UNESCO Recognition for Wine Culture, Sparking Debate Over Certification

At Vinitaly 2026, EU Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen publicly suggested that UNESCO should recognize the culture of wine and vine cultivation. He argued wine is part of European tradition, especially Italy's, drawing immediate support from producers. Wine's ancient practice extends beyond the EU, with evidence from Armenia and Georgia. UNESCO already lists wine-related intangible heritage, like Pantelleria's 'alberello' vine cultivation and Georgia's Qvevri winemaking method. Material heritage sites connected to wine include Italy's Piedmont vineyard landscape and Prosecco hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, Portugal's Porto Douro wine region and Pico Island vineyard culture, Switzerland's Lavaux terraces, and Hungary's Tokaj landscape. Indirect connections exist in Italy's Cinque Terre and Palestinian lands of oil and wine. Critics argue recognizing wine as a European practice could exclude non-European viticulture with historical evidence and create confusion by including all EU production. An alternative proposal suggests developing new certification for historically significant food and beverage traditions, focusing on adherence to specific practices rather than territorial belonging, acknowledging how knowledge spreads across regions over centuries. This would create a new value system recognizing cultural transmission.