Terroirs and enhancement of the landscapes (Terroir 2006)

The landscape is defined by the European convention of the landscape (Florence, October 20, 2000) like part of the territory as perceived by the populations, whose character results from the action of natural and/or human factors and their interrelationships. This convention is based on the contribution cultural, ecological, environmental, social of the landscapes and aims at a reinforcement of the tools of protection and valorization in particular in the agricultural policies, of regional planning and town planning. Moreover, it encourages a step of identification and qualification of the landscapes and underlines the need for developing the sensitizing and the training of the actors concerned.

“Côtes du Rhône”, like many other controlled appellation wine, represents high stakes in the economical, social cultural and historical domains. The scenery formed by vineyards reveals these cultural values. It offers by a pleasant and appealing environment for the inhabitants and the tourists. It is also a powerful marketing tool for the winemakers.

Parallèlement à la connaissance des aptitudes viticoles, le terroir témoigne d’une identité locale, d’une spécificité des conditions de productions et d’une originalité des lieux.

The interaction between wine and landscapes is of an unsuspected richness. On the one side, the vineyards form part of the landscapes which they model. On the other side, the wines are related in their perception to the image of a region, a landscape and are at the origin of a cultural richness.