Piemont

The Asti province (1.500 km²), with the provincial capital of the same name, is located in the Piemonte wine-growing region in Italy. It includes the entire southern section of the Monferrato hills. The region has many varietal DOC wines, such as Barbera d´Asti, Dolcetto d´Asti, Freisa d´Asti, Grignolino d´Asti and Malvasia di Casorzo d´Asti. However, most of the wines produced are basic VdT´s. The most famous wines are the sparkling wines, which are made from the Moscato Bianco (see under Muscat Blanc) grape, known here as Moscato di Canelli, which was first documented in 1203. The variety does particularly well in the Langhe hills around the town of Canelli, the centre of the sparkling wine industry. Perlé wines have been available here since medieval times. In the 17th century, when Piemonte was still a part of Savoie, the court jeweller of the dukes of Savoie, Giovanni Battista Croc, improved the viticultural and vinicultural techniques. In 1870, Carlo Gancia introduced the champagne method of making sparkling wine, and was thus the founder of the famous sparkling wines from this region. The two variants Moscato d´Asti and Asti Spumante (also just Asti for short) were the first Italian sparkling wines to be awarded DOCG classification in 1994 (the first DOCG sparkling wine produced according to the champagne method was the Franciacorta from Lombary in 1995). The DOCG zone, which includes 53 communes, is virtually identical for both variants, it is located mainly in the province of Asti (29 communes), but also stretches to the provinces of Alessandria (9) and Cueno (15). Both are produced according to the Charmat method (fermented in tank – not bottle-fermented) and are generally semi-sweet to fully sweet. Some details of the DOC regulations differ. The main differences are in the actual alcohol content (4,5 to 6,5 for Moscato d´Asti, 7 to 9,5% vol for Asti Spumante) and in the carbon dioxide pressure, at only one bar the Moscato d´Asti is a lightly perlé wine, the Spumante has a pressure of 4 bar and is a “real” sparkling wine. The potential alcohol content of the must must be 11% resp. 12%. Based on its lower residual sugar content, Asti Spumante should actually taste dryer, instead it is subjectively perveived as being sweeter, as it lackst he intense aromas. Moscato d´Asti is generally regarded as being the better wine.

Asti Spumante: in terms of ist characteristics, it is a sweet spumante, or sparkling wine. The grapes are processed gently, the must is centrifuged and filtered, then pumped into tanks, and cooled down almost to freezing point. Cultured yeasts are added to initiate the fermentation process, which takes around six weeks, the enclosed tanks ensure that the natural carbon dioxide is retained. Once the wine has reached the ratio of alcohol content to residual sugar desired for the style of the house, fermentation is stopped by refrigeration. The wine is then bottled, only very rarely does the label show a vintage. Among the best producers are, for example, Cascina Fonda, Cinzano, Contratto, Gancia, Fontanafredda, Martini-Rossi and Riccadonna. Annual production is around 80 million bottles, putting it in the top group of sparkling wine products, along with champagne and cava.

Moscato d´Asti: its characteristics are that it is a sweet, slightly perlé wine – „not even“ a frizzante (which is however not a reflection on its quality). The wine is particularly popular in Italy itself, it is produced mainly by smaller estates, in comparison with Asti Spumante it is milder, more fruity and less fizzy. The grapes are specially selected, and are mostly sourced from the Langhe hills to the west of Santo Stefano Belbo. It is less rigorously filtered, which means that more fruit, aromas and flavour are retained. Fermentation is stopped at a low alcohol content of 5 to 6% vol, and at a low carbon dioxide pressure. The bottles are generally (as the carbon dioxide pressure is low) closed with a regular cork, and also generally state a vintage on the label. Annual production is only around four million bottles. The leading producers are, for example, Bera Walter, Cascina Fonda, Carbonere, Dogliotti-Caudrina, Gatti, La Spinetta, Saracco, Traversa and Vignaioli di Santo Stefano.