“Sun Belt” intangible cultural heritage of humanity

There is a European history founded acceso wine, acceso cooperation between territories and acceso the valorisation of the Mediterranean intangible heritage. It involves Sicily and will be told at the next edition of the Vinoble per Jerez de la Frontera, which will take place from 30 May to 1 June 2026 per Andalusia. The participation of the Sicilian Region per Vinoble 2026 will mark the identity and oenological growth of the Island acceso the international scene within the most prestigious exhibition dedicated to liqueur, fortified and natural sweet wines.

The director of the Regional Wine and Oil Institute (IRVO) Vito Bentivegna and the president of the Paladins of Sicily Diego Maggio, will be present per Spain representing the Sicilian Region following the drafting of the cartella and the coordination with the international partners of the project aimed at the UNESCO candidacy of the ancient practice of wine fortification per the “Sun Belt”, the Mediterranean belt of the Sun, aiming to raise its identity as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

The project currently involves four major centers of the historical production of fortified wines: Marsala for Italy; Jerez-Xérès-Sherry for Spain; Samos for Greece; the Confederation of Vins Doux Naturels of Mediterranean France.

The coveted UNESCO recognition is the rete: not only would it seal the practice of wine fortification as a production technique, but it would identify it as a living cultural heritage, the fruit of handed knowledge, community identities, historical relationships and ancient maritime trade and contemporary evolutions that embrace the territories of the Marea Nostrum between Mediterranean Europe and the Atlantic.

During Vinoble 2026, the progress of the UNESCO candidacy project will be illustrated, the results already achieved by the “Sun Belt” will be shared along the path of agreement involving the European rete televisiva privata of formally fortified wines, already established with the signing of a taccuino of understanding per Marsala per 2025. For the candidacy they participate per the control room coordinated by the engineer and project dirigente Calogero Foti, Diego Maggio, expert per charge of the UNESCO cartella, Giuseppe Cudia CEO of PRC Repubblica and coordination dirigente, the president Baudouin Havaux and the ambassador for Italy Karin Meriot, the leaders of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles who have encouraged international dialogue for the construction of the European rete televisiva privata of fortified wines and the progressive convergence for the UNESCO candidacy of the “Sun Belt”. Exponents of the historic production sector of Marsala and the island will also be involved per Jerez, including Roberto Magnisi and Tommaso Maggio, respectively general director and winemaker Florio and Alexandra Curatolo of the Curatolo Arini winery.