Wine Map of Italy
Piemonte (Piedmont)
Piedmont is esteemed above all for its red wines, the regal Barolo and Barbaresco in the forefront. But the best known of the region's wines is the white, sweet, bubbly and widely adored Asti Spumante.
Practically all of Piedmont's classified wines derive from native vines. Still, among DOC wines at least, whites are equally prominent. First comes Moscato d'Asti, the base of Asti Spumante. With an output surpassing 50 million liters annually, it ranks second in volume to Chianti among Italy 's classified wines. An established star among dry whites is Gavi from the native Cortese grape.
Italy's westernmost region with borders on Switzerland and France , Piedmont is hemmed in by Alps and Apennines, which explain why its name means "foot of the mountain." Though it ranks only seventh among the regions in total production, in every other way Piedmont is a giant of wine. It has the most DOC-DOCG zones with 38 (taking in 43 distinct types of wine) and the most vineyards dedicated to classified production. For craftsmanship, respect for tradition and devotion to native vines in their historical habitat, the Piedmontese have no rivals in Italy.
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Wine Regions of Italy
Click on a region to view a description.
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Patrik Schmidt
Sommelier |
