The Fontevraud charter in favour of the viticultural landscapes

The viticultural regions of the world have the advantage of a remarkable diversity of landscapes which are the reflection of the winegrowers’ capacity to adapt to the different geomorphological and climatic specificities of the terroirs, more generally speaking, this aesthetic and heritage aspect of the terroir is also part and parcel of the notion of sustainable viticulture.
But this cultural ecosystem is fragile. The modernity, in its functional approach, has often hidden this patrimonial wealth handed down by the previous generations, a heritage sometimes perceived as a hindrance in the face of the technological evolutions and economic requirements.
In this frame, the Val de Loire region initiated the first international symposium on viticultural landscapes which took place from 2nd to 4th July 2003 at the Fontevraud abbey.
As an extension, a charter has been drawn up in collaboration notably with the Ministry of Agriculture and Ecology, the National Institute for Controlled Origins, the International Organization of Vines and Wines with the support of the French Commission for Unesco and the International Council for Monuments and Sites.
This charter, perfectly appropriate for the European landscape convention, advocates knowledge and understanding of the evolution of the viticultural landscapes in their aesthetic, cultural, historical and scientific aspects. The charter combines a well-informed review of the landscape organization of these terroirs and a joint project of both professional structures and local communities, so as to finalize protective and upgrading actions, in the frame of a management scheme.