he Monferrato is part of the vast system of hills that extends from the Po to the southern limits of Piedmontese territory. It includes the Langhe and the Asti district.
The district is much more historical than geographical in nature. It is a region of castles and separate social and economic centers. The battle waged in the past to create a major state in the hills as well as the struggle for independence and liberty have without doubt emphasized the separateness of the character of the region in comparison with the rest of Piedmont.
As in the past, the district is above all a region of noble vineyards and truffles, so that it is of interest not only from a cultural and historical but also and above all from a gastronomic standpoint.
At Monferrato, the boundaries of several very important D.O.C.s and D.O.C.G.s intersect and overlap, causing some confusion. In order to give a clearer message to the consumers and help the producers to hit the market with a well-defined identity for their less prestigious wines, the Monferrato D.O.C. was created in 1994 to regulate the traditional local varieties.
It covers the hilly territories of 100 municipalities in the province of Alessandria and another 100 in the province of Asti.
Among the wines included in Monferrato D.O.C., Casalese Cortese deserves special attention. This is a fresh, perfumed white wine that is meeting with success on domestic and foreign markets vintage after vintage. Unlike other Monferrato D.O.C. subcategories, Casalese Cortese can be produced only in a limited area of 40 municipalities in the province of Alessandria.
Consorzio Tutela Vini d'Asti e Monferrato
Via Morelli ,15
14100 Asti (AT)
ITALY
phone: (+39) 0141/598998
fax: (+39) 0141/598984
email: consorziobarbera@libero.it
This page was written by Stefano Milioni. Background image and most photos in this section courtesy of Giuliano Bugialli, all right reserved (see Copyright and Credits).
he Monferrato is part of the vast system of hills that extends from the Po to the southern limits of Piedmontese territory. It includes the Langhe and the Asti district.
The district is much more historical than geographical in nature. It is a region of castles and separate social and economic centers. The battle waged in the past to create a major state in the hills as well as the struggle for independence and liberty have without doubt emphasized the separateness of the character of the region in comparison with the rest of Piedmont.
As in the past, the district is above all a region of noble vineyards and truffles, so that it is of interest not only from a cultural and historical but also and above all from a gastronomic standpoint.