Asti wine
Moscato Bianco | |
| Wine produced | 665,790 hectolitres (14,645,000 imp gal; 17,588,000 US gal)[1] |
|---|---|
Asti (also known as Asti spumante)
Made from the
On 22 June 2014, Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[5][6] This landscape covers five distinct wine-growing areas and the Castle of Cavour, an important site both in the development of vineyards and in Italian history.
History
The Moscato Bianco grape (also known as Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains) has long been found in the Piedmont and, along with
After
Remnants of this reputation remained attached to the name Asti Spumante for much of the 20th century. When the wine was promoted to DOCG status in 1993, producers sought to distinguish themselves from that reputation and dropped the use of Spumante altogether in favor of the shortened Asti name.[3] Along with the name change came a change in style, with several producers creating more modern styles of Asti that are less sweet and have more ripe fruit flavors.[4]
Production zone
Asti is produced in the southeastern region of Piedmont where the large concentration of rolling hills provides ample space for vineyard plantings. The DOCG production zone is located mostly in the Province of Asti and partly within the provinces of Cuneo and Alessandria.[7]
Original definition
The area was first defined in 1932 as comprising the following 45
In Asti: Asti, Bubbio, Calamandrana, Calosso, Canelli, Cassinasco, Castagnole delle Lanze, Castel Boglione, Castel Rocchero, Castelnuovo Belbo, Cessole, Coazzolo, Costigliole d'Asti, Fontanile, Incisa Scapaccino, Loazzolo, Maranzana, Moasca, Mombaruzzo, Monastero Bormida, Montabone, Nizza Monferrato, Quaranti, San Marzano Oliveto, Sessame and Vesime.
In Cuneo: Camo, Castiglione Tinella, Cossano Belbo, Mango, Neive, Neviglie, Rocchetta Belbo, Santo Stefano Belbo, Treiso and Trezzo Tinella.
In Alessandria:
The province of Cuneo is more mountainous than the other provinces and has fewer vineyards that are concentrated closer to the
Expansion
In 1967 the zone was extended to include the communes of
Since 1976 production of the wine has additionally been permitted in the communes of Castino and Perletto in Cuneo as well as San Giorgio Scarampi in Asti.
DOCG regulations and production
Under Italian
Asti get their fizziness from a single fermentation that takes place in stainless steel tanks (as opposed to a secondary fermentation taking place in a
Within the tanks the
Most Asti is not vintage-dated, however the large consumption and quick turnover of the wine usually means that the wines on the market are from the most recent vintage.[4]
Wine styles
According to wine expert Karen MacNeil modern Asti wines have the characteristic "
Asti is often consumed very young and as close to the vintage as possible. After two years, the wine rapidly loses the fresh, floral notes and becomes heavier and richer in body. While still drinkable, older Asti tends not to exhibit the typical light, fruity flavors that are usually associated with the wine.[7]
Despite its sweetness, Asti has enough acidity to be versatile in
See also
References
- ^ a b "Asti DOCG". Italian Wine Central. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ ISBN 0-316-72654-0.
- ^ ISBN 1-55297-720-X.
- ^ ISBN 1-56305-434-5.
- ^ Hetter, Katia (23 June 2014). "UNESCO's newest World Heritage Sites". CNN travel. CNN. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
- ^ Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato UNESCO
- ^ ISBN 0-7645-5355-0.