Area

That around Asti is a unique area, rich in history and a love of wine.

Often represented as a bunch of grapes because of its geographical layout which, indeed, recalls that image, it is in fact in its vines and grapes that it has its main source of income. These elements are also of course responsible for its unquestioned pre-eminence among Italy’s wine-producing Regions.

The production zone for Asti D.O.C.G. comprises 52 communes. Asti is the archetypal aromatic sparkling wine and is produced using a technique invented in Piedmont (the Martinotti Method) that allows the wine to preserve the characteristic varietal aromas of the Moscato grape.

The Province of Asti, the smallest in Piedmont, consists of a succession of hills, valleys, vineyards and woodland, interspersed with picturesque villages and castles: an environment that encapsulates the hard-working and headstrong spirit of its people. At the heart of this area there is the city of Asti, with its history that goes back thousands of years and its centre that is easy to get around in, even on foot. The areas of Asti and the Monferrato Astigiano are generous wine zones. They do not resemble any other viticultural region, because of their singular and almost white marly/chalky soil that is particularly suited to the Barbera and Grignolino varieties as well as to aromatic cultivars such as Moscato and Brachetto.

There are many good restaurants nearby, with more or less traditional interpretations of the local cuisine: some are even famous abroad, whereas others are simple trattorie in style. The cuisine of the Monferrato Astigiano offers seasonal specialities, based especially on vegetables and truffles (from mid-September until the end of December).
The most typical hors d’oeuvres are: carne cruda (a local variation on steak tartare), fried vegetables (potatoes, onions, vegetable greens), tonno di coniglio (rabbit preserved like tuna), acciughe al verde (anchovies in a spicy parsley sauce), cotechino (a rich pork sausage), carpione (a traditional recipe incorporating courgettes, fish, chicken, eggs and veal cutlets) and vitello tonnato (cold veal in tuna sauce).

The principal first courses are: agnolotti, tagliolini, various types of risotto (especially cooked in Barbera wine), bean soup, lasagne, rice dishes and various kinds of vegetable soup, bagna cauda (vegetables in a dip made from olive oil, garlic and anchovies), fondue, finanziera (giblets, heart etc. cooked in butter and wine) and fried offal.
Among the main courses, apart from boiled meats, there are various roasts of tender beef, oxtail, fried or stewed cod, fried frogs’ legs, snails, stewed tripe, batsuà (pigs’ trotters)  mushrooms (fried or cooked in oil, garlic and parsley) and fried eggs with truffle.

The typical desserts are: zabaglione made with wine, bunet (typical Piedmontese chocolate pudding), panna cotta (cream pudding) and dry pastries.