PIEDMONT
Piedmont's soil offers rich black cherry reds, lighter-bodied reds, and some of the most refreshing whites in both still and sparkling. The region is amazing in both its variety and quality of wines. It is definitely one of the best regions in which to base yourself if you want to tour beautiful wine areas. Moving around in the protective inner ring created by the
Alps
and the Apennine mountains, wine tours can encompass many different terrains.
A WINE TOUR
For example perhaps start or finish your tour in Aosta, an Alpine region dominated by Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc). Here you can try some of the highest produced wines in Europe, or visit the beautiful
Italian
Lake
area around Lago Maggiore, and then from Arona you can experience the lesser known areas of the Gattinara and Ghemme wine zones. We recommend you spend at least one day in Turin, the capital of the region. This city is famous for gourmet restaurants, fine chocolate, and of course Fiat cars. Nearby it is possible to visit the Cinzano and Martini estates, possibly Italy's most famous appertifs. If sun and sea appeal to you, then the Italian Riviera is just south of us, with famous resorts such as
San Remo
and Portofino, favourite haunts of the rich and famous. Of course no wine tour in
Piedmont
would be complete without driving and or walking through the venerable vineyards of the Langhe and Monferatto. Here you will find the increasingly sought after big ‘Bs’ of Piedmont wine, Barolo, Barbaresco and Barbera. The Langhe and the area around Alba are famous for white truffles (tartuffo bianco), Barolo and Barbaresco wines, and there are lots of famous estates to visit here. From the nearby city of
Asti
you can easily explore the upper and lower Monferatto, regions with the highest number of DOC wines.
A Selection of Astesana Wines
Astesana, the ancient land around Asti, is rich with ancient castles and fine houses. Astesana is one of the most fertile areas of the
province
of
Asti,
with over 50 closely connected towns and cities producing a third of
Piedmont
’s wine. Delicious Barbera, aromatic Moscato, the splendid Brachetto and the famous Italian Spumante are all produced here. There are over 300 wineries, mostly private and some co-operative, available for tastings and purchases.
In total there are 12 DOC and DOCG wines from Astesana and when the various types and sub-denominations are factored in, there are over 47 types of wording possible on the wine labels. It is no wonder that people can get confused about what to buy. The descriptions provided in the wine page of this site will hopefully give you a guiding hand in understanding what is available. In the Astesana zone, Barbera is king and many of the best wines are from this area. It is in
Asti
and Monferrato that you will find wonderful Barbera bargains.
The
Astesana Wine Road
The wine road, also known as Astesana, has eight protected routes running along peaceful secondary roads with inspiring views. The names of these routes are:
Colli Astiane, Bricchi, Lauretum, Canelli and the Land of Gold, Colline del Nizza, Castles, Langa Astigiana and the Colli di Alferi
The wine communes encompassed by the Castles route include Bruno and Castelnuovo Belbo which is where Vecchio Podera Santa Cristiana’s wine is made. It is a delightful route that has a particularly high number of castles and old towers. It is in fact the area with the greatest density of historic buildings in
Europe. It is a reminder of the days when Piemonte was the direct route for armies marching between
Italy
and
France
, a tradition that started with
Hannibal
, continued with Napoleon and was finally stopped by Italian unification under the House of Savoy. For the most part the route is situated between Nizza Monferrato and Alto (high) Monferrato. The main access points are from the
village
of
Bruno
(2 miles from us); from the motorway tollgates at Alessandria South; Bazzana di Mombaruzzo from Nizza Monferrato; Calamandrana from Canelli; and Montabone from
Savona
. This area is also well known for its artisan production of sweets and desserts, and we recommend you try the delicious Amaretti products which are made in Mombaruzzo.
Visit and stay on our vineyard where we are happy to provide information to our guests on any of the eight wine routes mentioned. All are possible by car, many are great bike routes and some are even possible on foot. In addition we can arrange tastings and advice on cantinas, restaurants and local speciality shops. Please contact us to discuss your requirements. Meanwhile watch this space for information on special wine events and organised tasting programmes