Piemont

DOCG for sweet wine in the Piemonte region in Italy. DOC classification took place in 1969, and DOCG status followed in 1996. It is permissible to just use the term "Acqui". The zone includes eight communes in the province of Alessandria (Acqui Terme, from which the name is taken, Alice Bel Colle, Bistagno, Cassine, Ricaldone, Strevi, Terzo, Visone) and 18 communes in the province of Asti (Bubbio, Calamandrana, Cassinasco, Castel Rocchero, Castelboglione, Castelletto Molina, Cessole, Fontanile, Loazzolo, Maranzana, Monastero Bormida, Mombaruzzo, Montabone, Nizza Monferrato Quaranti, Rocchetta Palafea e Sessame and Vesime). A sweet red sparkling wine was very popular in Piemonte in the 19th century. Later, white sparkling wines became fashionable, which almost led to the extinction of the Brachetto variety. In the 1970’s, attempts were made to revive the old style, led by, among others, the Castello Banfi estate. The wine has a musty muscat bouquet with notes of roses and violets, it is made exclusively from the Brachetto variety. It is also made as a still red wine, but mostly is made as a Frizzante (minimum alcohol content 11,5%) or as a Spumante (minimum alcohol content 12%) in either white or rosé versions.