Aubert de Villaine has summoned a marathoner's energy to spearhead a six-year campaign to convince the French government and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to recognize the 1,248 distinct, named vineyards (called climats) of Burgundy as a collective World Heritage Site for their "lasting importance to humanity." Even though the climats are the source of some of the world's most venerated red and white wines, their official recognition as a World Heritage Site is not a foregone conclusion. Wine Spectator's Peter Hellman spoke with de Villaine about the campaign.
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