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 Champagne is considered foremost a celebratory drink. What better way to celebrate the inclusion of the ‘Slopes, Houses and Cellars of Champagne’ in the annual List of World Heritage sites announced in Germany on July 3! And when the neighbouring Burgundy also gets recognised at the same time, it is a time to rejoice not only for the two neighbours but the whole French Nation-even the anti-alcohol lobby and the teetotaler President Francois Hollande. Among many other positives, the two recognitions will give a tremendous boost to the wine tourism in their two premier wine regions and perhaps soften the stand of the anti-alcohol lobbyists towards wine.
Champagne Coteaux, Maisons & Caves (Champagne-Slopes, Houses & Cellars)
When I visited Champagne in April to attend AWINETEC 2015 and visited Champagne Houses and Cellars, the buzzword was UNESCO World Heritage and the chances of acceptance. People were nervous and excited. Well, now they can only rejoice as the exceptional universal value of the Champagne vineyard cultural landscape, the birthplace of champagnes, has now been recognized with its inscription on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. In a broader sense, all the work done to produce and publicize champagne as sparkling wine passed down the generations and preserved in the 320 AOC Champagne districts located in the five French départements of Marne, Aube, Aisne, Haute-Marne and Seine-et-Marne has been rewarded, according to their website.
The citation for the Recognition reads, ‘The property encompasses sites where the method of producing sparkling wines was developed on the principle of secondary fermentation in the bottle since the early 17th century to its early industrialization in the 19th century. The property is made up of three distinct ensembles: the historic vineyards of Hautvilliers, Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Saint-Nicaise Hill in Reims, and the Avenue de Champagne and Fort Chabrol in Epernay. These three components – the supply basin formed by the historic hillsides, the production sites (with their underground cellars) and the sales and distribution centres (the Champagne Houses) - illustrate the entire champagne production process. The property bears clear testimony to the development of a very specialized artisan activity that has become an agro-industrial enterprise.’
Perhaps champagne would taste even better after this recognition !
Les Climats du Vignoble de Bourgogne (The Climats, Terroirs of Burgundy)
 This year another wine region, also from France and adjoining Champagne has been honoured at the same time, probably making French wine lovers uncork Champagne even outside that region. The Climats, Terroirs of Burgundy- Les Climats du Vignoble de Bourgogne has also been accorded the same status. The citation reads, ‘The climates are precisely delimited vineyard parcels on the slopes of the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune south of the city of Dijon. They differ from one another due to specific natural conditions (geology and exposure) as well as vine types and have been shaped by human cultivation. Over time they came to be recognized by the wine they produce. This cultural landscape consists of two parts. Firstly, the vineyards and associated production units including villages and the town of Beaune, which together represent the commercial dimension of the production system. The second part includes the historic centre of Dijon, which embodies the political regulatory impetus that gave birth to the climats system. The site is an outstanding example of grape cultivation and wine production.’
Burgundy fans well know the diversity in the soil and terroir and how it makes their wines unique.
UNESCO World Heritage and India
To put things in perspective, India has 32 sites recognized in this prestigious list of 1022 sites. It includes mostly our old monuments and edifices like the Agra Fort, Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, Ajanta , Ellora and Elephanta Caves, Monuments of Mahabalipuram, Sun Temple of Konarak, National Parks of Kaziranga, Sundarbans, Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers, Humayun’s Tomb, Qutab Minar and Red Fort in Delhi, Temples of Bodhgaya, Victoria (Chhatrapati Shivaji) Station Mumbai etc.
Delhi Withdrawn at Last Minute
 Delhi was the first Indian city to have applied with 38 others for this recognition. But in May this year, the government withdrew its application as a World Heritage city, bringing 10 years of hard work to naught. The government claimed that this decision had been taken because it would have conflicted with plans for infrastructure and construction in the capital. Once a city comes into the heritage list, you are unable to make some construction in the city plans and land use plans, was the official view expressed by Mr. Mahesh Sharma, Union Culture Minister. The previous Congress governments in Delhi and the Centre had prepared ground work for the nomination which was sent initially in 2012. The final dossier was prepared by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) in January 2014 and sent to UNESCO.
Kanchenjunga, Nalanda and Chandigarh have been nominated in February this year and will be reviewed in June 2016.
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee meets in a different country every year at June-end to decide the additions. This 39th edition this year is being hosted by Germany in Bonn till July 8. The result was announced on June 3rd evening. Out of 36 nominations that included 30 in the Cultural Heritage category, 17 have been awarded the Recognition including 14 in the latter category. It has recognized 1022 sites since it was first initiated in 1978; 793 of these are in the cultural category-the most important one.
Subhash Arora |