The winecellar of Canelli, the “gateway to the world”

Cesare Pavese, in its time, poetically called it “the gateway to the world” and today more than ever, this attractive definition is reflected in reality. We talk about the town of Canelli, lying south of the province of Asti, a candidate to become World Heritage protected by UNESCO. We are located in Piedmont, home to the well-known city of wine and world capital of champagne andMuscat, a beautiful town situated on the river valley Belbo between two major hill areas: the Asti area, along the bank of the Tanaro and Langa real.

Among these vast expanses of green, therefore, lies Canelli, the “gateway to the world” that welcomes diverse cultures of the taste of wine and food from other areas and at the same time, it decided to open up to international scenarios. It is from this awareness, in fact, was born the need to claim for recognition of the World Heritage wine landscapes of the southern Piedmont, in particular the three provinces of Asti - Cuneo – Alessandria and Canelli, with its historic underground cellars not of niches that do not see the sunlight, but much more.

These are indeed the true heart and soul of the deepest place, represent the memory and the everyday. In essence, it is aging cellars, better known as true underground cathedrals of local wineries, dug into the tuff hills and developed for many kilometers beneath the city.

The request points the Heritage seems therefore only legitimate if one thinks that in Canelli, the history of wine has gone hand in hand with technological development. Even from the early twentieth century, in fact, the Piedmontese town has used machinery and advanced equipment, becoming a reference point for the production of wine tools.

A valuable recognition for the territory, then, echoes of historical, cultural and monumental of an entire region, which eventually could be enhanced sufficiently. Right here, where the wineries are almost a sacred role, because they are the first able to materialize the “genius loci” of the whole community.

R.C.