Asti

Asti

The province of Asti, with the same capital in the Italian region Piedmont encompasses the entire southern Monferrato hills, with 1,500 square kilometers. Here are the DOC / DOCG wines Barbera d'Asti , Dolcetto d'Asti , Moscato d'Asti , Grignolino d'Asti and Malvasia di Casorzo d'Asti . For the most part, however, simple VdT's are produced. Are famous but especially the Sparkling wine Resulting from the already mentioned for the first time in 1203 Moscato Bianco or Moscato di Canelli here as designated species are produced. Especially the variety grows well in the Langhe hills around the town Canelli, the center of the sparkling wine industry. Was sparkling wines here since the Middle Ages.

In the 17th Century (as yet to Piedmont Savoy included) increased the jeweler of the Dukes of Savoy, Giovanni Battista Croce, the cultivation and winemaking techniques. In 1870, led a Carlo Gancia the champagne method, and thus became the founder of the famous white sparkling wine. The two variants of Moscato d'Asti and Asti Spumante (also short of Asti) were the first Italian sparkling wines in 1994, the DOCG classification (the first after the Metodo classico produced by fermentation in the bottle DOCG sparkling wine in Italy in 1995 was the Franciacorta from Lombardy).

The DOCG zone with a total of 53 municipalities is the same for both sparkling wines, it is mainly the province of Asti (29), but also extends to the provinces of Alessandria (9) and Cueno (15) into it. Both are on the Méthode charmat (Fermentation tank - so no bottle fermentation) were prepared and expanded sweet to sweet. The DOC rules are different in detail. They consist mainly in the actual alcohol content (4.5 to 6.5 when compared with 7 Moscato d'Asti to 9.5% by volume at Asti Spumante) and the carbon dioxide pressure, where the Moscato d'Asti, a sparkling bar only slightly compared with four Spumante is the bar. The potential alcohol content must be 11% and 12%. Due to the lower Residual sugar The Asti Spumante would actually taste dry, in fact it is subjective, sweeter, because it lacks strong flavor. As a better wine generally is considered the Moscato d'Asti.

Asti Spumante: Where the characteristics of a sweet Spumante (Sparkling wine). The grapes are gently pressed, the juice is centrifuged and filtered and then pumped into tanks until almost cooled to freezing point. Supplied by the six-week Zuchthefe fermentation is started by the closed tank, the natural carbon dioxide obtained. If this is desired, depending on the style of the building relationship between alcohol and residual sugar content is reached, the fermentation is stopped by cooling. This is followed by bottling, rarely carries a vintage date on the label. One of the best producers include Cascina Fonda, Cinzano , Contratto, Gancia, Fontanafredda Martini Rossi and Riccadonna. With around 80 million bottles a year worldwide after Champagne and Cava at the top of the world's sparkling wine production.

Moscato d'Asti: Where the characteristics of a sweet, slightly sparkling wine - not even a sparkling wine (but this is not a quality judgment). The popular, especially in Italy, wine is mainly produced by small wineries while a similar nature, but against the Asti Spumante milder, fruitier and less sparkling. The specially selected grapes come primarily from the Langhe hills west of Santo Stefano Belbo. It is filtered less sharp, so get more fruit aroma and flavor remains. The fermentation is already at an alcohol content of 5 to 6% by volume and low pressure of carbon dioxide stopped. The bottles are usually (because of the carbon dioxide pressure is low) with a normal Cork closed and wearing a vintage statement. Annually, only about four million bottles produced. The leading producers are Walter Bera, Cascina Fonda Carbonere, Dogliotti-Caudrina, Gatti, La Spinetta , Saracco, Traversa and Vignaioli di Santo Stefano.