Campania Protects Historic Vineyards

Campania is moving to protect its historic vineyards as both a cultural asset and a source of genetic material that could help shape the region’s wine industry in the years ahead, according to a report published by Unione Italiana Vini. The effort reflects a broader push in southern Italy to preserve old vines, traditional training systems and rare local varieties that have survived decades of industrial standardization and, in some cases, the pressures of climate change.

The region’s historic vineyards are not only valued for their age or appearance. They are living records of Campania’s agricultural history, with plant material that may prove useful for future breeding, vineyard resilience and adaptation. The vineyards include pre-phylloxera plantings, alberate aversane, old ungrafted vines and traditional systems that remain rooted in local farming culture. In practical terms, preserving them means protecting biodiversity that could help growers respond to disease pressure, heat stress and shifting growing conditions.

A key step in this process came from a survey carried out by SeSIRCA between 2010 and 2012. That mapping effort documented historic vineyards across Irpinia, the Phlegraean Fields, Ischia, Terra di Lavoro, Sannio and the Amalfi Coast. It identified old vines of Aglianico, Falanghina, Biancolella, Asprinio, Pallagrello, Casavecchia and Tintore, along with other rare varieties. The survey also recorded cases considered especially fragile or at risk of disappearing, including Greco Muscio and Campanile, underscoring how quickly genetic resources can be lost without sustained monitoring.

The regional government later gave the issue formal recognition with Decree No. 50 on May 27, 2025, which created an official list of historic and heroic vineyards in Campania. That measure opened the way for these sites to be recognized as landscape assets under regional protection rules. For growers and researchers, the decree marked a shift from informal appreciation to institutional support for vineyards that had long been seen as part of the region’s rural heritage but not always treated as strategic resources.

The work is also tied to new projects that connect preservation with experimentation. One example involves Feudi di San Gregorio and the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, where the goal is to bring vines back into a site closely linked to Mediterranean history. The project uses genetic material from century-old vines in Irpinia, linking modern viticulture with archaeology and landscape restoration. In this case, historic vines are not being preserved only as relics. They are being used as a source of material for research and for planting in a setting where wine history can be studied in direct relation to place.

For Campania’s wine sector, the significance goes beyond nostalgia. Historic vineyards can serve as field laboratories for understanding how older plant material behaves under current conditions. They may also offer clues about traits that were selected over generations by farmers working with local soils and microclimates rather than standardized commercial models. That makes them relevant not only to historians and conservationists but also to producers looking for practical answers to future challenges.

The region’s approach shows how wine policy is changing in Italy. Preservation is no longer limited to protecting scenic landscapes or famous labels. It now includes safeguarding genetic diversity, documenting old vineyard systems and using those resources in applied research. In Campania, where wine production is closely tied to identity and territory, the effort has become part of a larger strategy to keep local viticulture rooted in its past while preparing it for what comes next.