German wine culture is recognised as Intangible Cultural Heritage

Following the recommendation of the German UNESCO Commission´s expert committee, on March 19, “German Wine Culture" has been declared as Intangible Cultural Heritage by the conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs. The process started in October 2019, when the Deutsche Weinakademie officially submitted their application to the respective office for World Heritages in Rhineland-Palatinate, supported by the state of Rhineland-Palatinate through the Ministry of Economy, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture and by the Ministry of Science, Further Education and Culture.

With this step, the expert committee recognises the German wine culture as an open, lively and adaptable tradition that is strongly rooted in society. It was also emphasized in the decision that wine culture in Germany includes social, artisanal, cultural and linguistic aspects as well as numerous festivals and traditions. Particularly in wine regions, wine cultureshapes many people´s lifestyle/rhythm of life and thus, often has a local, identity-forming effect.