The Urban Vineyards Association is proud to announce the inclusion of Gentse Wijnmetersgilde, the Guild of the Wine Measurers of the City of Ghent, as a new member of the Association. With origins dating back to the 9th century, when Emperor Charles the Great established vineyards in Ghent, and formally founded in the 12th century to regulate the measurement and quality of wine entering the city, the Guild represents a remarkable example of Europe’s historic urban wine culture.

Officially revived in 1978 by the City Council of Ghent, the Guild today maintains a symbolic vineyard of approximately 500 grapevines in the historic gardens of St Pieters Abbey, located on the slope descending toward the River Scheldt. With nearly 250 members, it oversees vineyard management and vinification while organizing cultural and wine-related events throughout the year.

Recognized as UNESCO heritage and nominated as Flemish Intangible Cultural Heritage under the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Gentse Wijnmetersgilde embodies a living connection between urban viticulture, civic tradition, and cultural continuity. Its inclusion further strengthens the Association’s international network, celebrating both innovation and the preservation of historic urban vineyard traditions.

On Friday, January 23, 2026, the Nicolaus Hotel in Bari hosted one of the most significant national events dedicated to the relationship between viticulture, urban environments, and landscape: “Urban Vines. Silent Clusters of History, Nature, and Culture.”

Promoted by AIS Bari Sommeliers, the event represented an important cultural contribution to the contemporary debate on the protection of urban agricultural heritage and the enhancement of historic vineyards integrated into city contexts. These vineyards stand as living expressions of biodiversity, collective memory, and local identity.

Urban Vineyards Association was honored to contribute to this important occasion through the participation of our President, Nicola Purrello, who opened the discussion and shared our vision and ongoing commitment to the study and protection of urban vineyards at an international level.

The dialogue was enriched by the contributions of Prof. Nicola Martinelli, Full Professor of Urban Planning at the Politecnico di Bari, and Prof. Giuseppe Ferrara, Associate Professor of General Arboriculture and Tree Cultivation at the University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, who offered scientific and territorial perspectives on the phenomenon of urban viticulture.

The educational and professional dimension of viticulture was represented by Dr. Angelinda Griseta, Head of the Basile Caramia Institute in Locorotondo, Prof. Ignazio Zara, teacher and winemaker at the same institution, and Domenico Bufano, owner of Sirose Agricultural Company, which manages the terraced vineyard of Locorotondo.

The national relevance of the initiative was further strengthened by the participation of key representatives of the Italian Sommelier Association (AIS): Giuseppe Baldassarre, Giacomo D’Ambruoso, Sandro Camilli, and Camillo Privitera. The discussion was moderated by AIS speaker Agnese Di Noia.

A central moment of the evening was the guided tasting of wines from urban vineyards across Italy and Europe, offering a concrete expression of the extraordinary coexistence between city and viticulture. The wines presented were:

🍇 Valmarina Solaris Piwi 100% and Valmarina Bianco Colli Aperti from Cascina Moroni, Lombardy
🍇 Balat Rosato 2024 from Etna Urban Winery, Sicily
🍇 Aleatico from Istituto Basile Caramia, Puglia
🍇 Vigna Villa della Regina from Cantine Balbiano, Piedmont
🍇 Harmonia Mundi 2022 from Herita Marzotto Wine Estates, Veneto
🍇 Bi.te.le and Gloria from Cantina Nusserhof, South Tyrol
🍇 Fields of Gold 2021 from Eichhorn Winery, Austria
🍇 Vinyes de Barcelona 2022 from Can Calopa de Dalt, Spain

The tasting was accompanied by a culinary creation by resident chef Tommaso Giacovelli, designed to enhance the wines and complete the sensory experience.

For Urban Vineyards Association, events such as this confirm the growing attention toward urban vineyards and strengthen our commitment to their recognition, protection, and international network.