2026-06-01
The historic wine regions of Marsala in Sicily, Samos in Greece, the natural sweet wines of southern France and Jerez in Spain presented a joint UNESCO candidacy project on Monday in Jerez de la Frontera, seeking recognition of the traditional practice of fortification as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The announcement came during Vinoble, the wine fair held in the Andalusian city, and marked a new step in a transnational effort that began in 2024 with an initiative from Marsala and has since expanded into a broader alliance among wine regions in Italy, Greece, France, Portugal and Spain. The proposal aims to place fortified wines within UNESCO’s framework as a living cultural practice shaped by centuries of trade, maritime exchange, local customs and technical knowledge passed down through generations.
The regions involved say the candidacy is not limited to a winemaking method but reflects a shared heritage tied to social rituals, celebrations and community identity. In their view, fortification has helped define the character of these territories across the Mediterranean and the Atlantic edge of Europe, where fortified wines have long played a role in commerce and daily life.
The meeting in Jerez was the third coordination session for the project, following earlier gatherings in Sicily in 2025 and in Paris in January 2026. It was also the first public presentation in Spain of the joint UNESCO bid by the participating regions. Officials said they used the occasion to review progress with their national governments and to outline the next steps toward submitting what they call the “Historic Fortified Wines of the Sun Belt” for inclusion on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Vinoble provided a high-profile setting for the presentation, drawing wine professionals from outside Spain and giving the regions a chance to showcase their wines alongside their cultural message. The program included visits to vineyards and bodegas in the Jerez region, meetings with industry representatives and an official tasting featuring wines from each area.
The organizers said those events were meant to show that fortification is more than a technical process. They described it as a shared language among wine communities, one that connects producers across borders through common practices, commercial history and cultural memory.