Asti (wine)
| Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato | |
|---|---|
| Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List | |
 |
|
| Location | Italy |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iii, v |
| Reference | 1390 |
| UNESCO region | Europe and North America |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2014 (38th Session) |
| Asti | |
|---|---|
| Italian wine | |
A glass of Asti
|
|
| Wine type | DOCG |
| Decree of institution | 14/11/1977 |
| Gazzetta Ufficiale | 20/01/1978, nr. 20 |
| Yield | 1,000 t/km² |
| Maximum grape yield | 75,0% |
| Alcohol by volume of grape (natural) | 12,0% |
| Alcohol by volume of wine (minimum) | 7,0% |
| Net dry extract (minimum) | 17,0‰ |
| Origin | Asti, Montferrat |
| Ingredient grapes | Moscato Bianco: 100.0% |
Asti (also known as Asti Spumante) is a sparkling white Italian wine that is produced throughout southeastern Piedmont but is particularly focused around the towns of Asti and Alba. Since 1993 the wine has been classified as a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) and as of 2004 was Italy's largest producing appellation. In fact, on an average vintage more than ten times as much Asti is produced in Piedmont than the more well-known Piedmontese red wine Barolo.
Made from the Moscato Bianco grape, it is sweet and low in alcohol, and often served with dessert. Unlike Champagne, Asti is not made sparkling through the use of secondary fermentation in the bottle but rather through a single tank fermentation utilizing the Charmat method. It retains its sweetness through a complex filtration process. Another wine called Moscato d'Asti is made in the same region from the same grape, but is only slightly sparkling (frizzante) and tends to have even lower alcohol.
On 22 June 2014, Asti Spumante, along with Canelli was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Moscato Bianco grape (also known as Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains) has long been found in the Piedmont and, along with Nebbiolo, may be one of the oldest grapes in the region. However, the production of sparkling Asti from Moscato Bianco is a relatively recent product. The first sparkling Asti is believed to have been produced around 1870 by Carlo Gancia who studied the Champagne method used to produce the notable wine in the Champagne wine region of France. Producing his wine in the town of Canelli along the river Belbo, the wine grew in such popularity that Moscato Bianco developed the synonym of Muscat Canelli that is still seen on wine labels today.
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