Grignolino wine and its noble history

by: Alexa

Before the arrival of Barolo on the scene, “the wine of the kings” was another one: Grignolino.

Grignolino described as a wine with an anarchic but noble soul, it was one of the favorites of the king of Italy, always on the sumptuous tables of the royal court and the Dukes of Monferrato for their dinners with the biggest personalities of Europe.

Unfortunately, as we know, the trends are always changing, especially inside the spoiled world of nobles of the past. Grignolino started to be abandoned in favor of other wines, such as Barolo.

But let’s proceed in order. It was an expert of wine, Enza Cavallero, who researched the history of Grignolino and wrote about it. She found out that the first written document in which this variety was mentioned was from the XIII century. Then, in the XIV century appeared in the wines inventory of a monastery from Susa as “Grignolerii” wine. However, the very first mention in an ampelographic book was in the XVIII century, in which the writer called it “Nebieul rosè”, probably because it’s a direct descendant of Nebbiolo grape, but it’s lighter in color.  

Look at the light color of the grignolino grape

But why isn’t Grignolino as famous as the other wines of the region? The answer is in its more recent history. Between the ‘60 and the ‘70, Monferrato was a big tourist destination of Piedmont. People were especially coming for the restaurants: in 1961 Lidia and Guido Alciati opened, inside a little basement in Costigliole d’Asti village, a luxury restaurant that would become the first two Michelin stars of Piedmont. They were particularly famous for the ravioli del plin in a napkin (by the way, you must try them if you haven’t!). Coming back to the wine, the customers were asking for a bottle of Grignolino thinking that it was a rosè wine. In fact this variety doesn’t give a lot of color to the wine, usually resulting in a very light colored drink that was mistaken for a rosè wine. But Grignolino is the exact opposite, it’s a powerful wine with quite strong tannins that can evolve in time. Usually, the customers left the wine the first time, the second time they asked for something different. Consequently, the restaurants didn’t ask the producer anymore to buy the Grignolino and the production started to be abandoned. 

It was only recently that this wine was rediscovered and now has two denominations: Grignolino d’Asti DOC, since 1973 and Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese since 1974. 

Still, there aren’t many wineries whose first production is Grignolino, but the potential within this grape varietal has been rediscovered little by little. In 2016 was born the Monferace Association. The 12 founders chose this name because it was the ancient way of calling Monferrato during the era of Aleramico (here to read about Aleramico and the birth of Monferrato). They called Monferace a Grignolino wine that does at least 40 months of aging, of which at least 24 in wood. The idea was to restore the importance of the great Grignolino loved by the nobility of the past. Note that this is a wine that will give its best after some years of resting. The tannins will soften and donate an elegant wine in the nose and mouth. 

Talking more technically about Grignolino, the name comes from the fact that the grapes have more seeds, “grignole” in the local dialect, than the other varieties of the area. The great number of seeds makes it difficult to vinify it, because while pressing the grapes, the wine producer has to be really careful not to crush all of the seeds. It could result in a bitter taste of the wine. 

Another theory about the name Grignolino suggests that it may come from the local dialect word “grignè” that means laughing. An expression like a smile appears on the face of whoever drinks a glass of Grignolino, because of the strong tannins. 

As said before, the color of the wine is very light, this is because of the instability of the grape during the maturation: the single berries in a bunch are not able to achieve the same coloration during this process. Because of this it’s permitted by the disciplinary to add a small percentage of another wine in order to produce Grignolino. 

But let’s talk more specifically about the two denominations.

GRIGNOLINO D’ASTI DOC

The area of production includes 35 municipalities under the province of Asti.

The grapes used to make this Grignolino are from 90% to 100% Grignolino and not more than 10% of Freisa, in order to give more color to the final product, but without changing its nature. 

The color is light ruby red.

To the nose, it gives delicate fruity notes, especially of red fruits, underbrush and in the end hints of white pepper. 

On the palate it feels austere and elegant, but a little astringent because of the tannins. The finish is nicely bitter. 

GRIGNOLINO DEL MONFERRATO CASALESE DOC

The area of production includes 29 municipalities around the city of Casale Monferrato, that is one hour west to Turin. 

The grapes that can be used by disciplinary are from 100% to 95% of Grignolino and not more than 5% of Freisa and Barbera on their own or blend together. 

The color is light ruby red with orange reflexes.

The aromas at the nose are fruit forward, fresh and with a persistent note of dried fruit, especially peanut. 

On the palate it’s dry and fresh, with a bitter finish. 

It needs to be aged from 1 to 2 years. It’s also possible to produce a riserva that must be aged from 3 to 6 years. 

What is Barbera wine: the female warrior - Guide to Barbera wine

by: Alexa

I couldn’t count how many times I was asked “What is Barbera wine? Is Barbera male or female in Italian?” Barbera is obviously female. 

The name derives from the adjective Barberus, which means fearless and impetuous. She’s an untamed warrior, both in the vineyard and in the bottle. 

Because Barbera an everyday wine, very popular in the past on the farmers tables, Barbera was mockingly referred to as “she”. Today in Piedmont people embraced this female adjective and empowered the wine with it. 

The origins of Barbera wine can be traced back to ancient Roman times when the Barbera grape was already being cultivated in the region. The grape was highly valued for its high acidity and deep color, but it was initially considered secondary to other grape varieties such as Nebbiolo, which is used to produce the famous Barolo and Barbaresco wines.

The first time that we find the name Barbera inside the Asti area is in a document from the XVI century. From the XVII century Barbera from Asti started to spread to the nearby areas of Monferrato, Alessandria, Tortona, Vercelli and Novara, but she still was a simple wine, because of the high acidity and fruitiness, highly produced and cheap. 

However, at the beginning of the XIX century an excellence area for Barbera wine was recognized. It was an anticipation of the DOC and DOCG area, established in 1970 and 2008, respectively. Unfortunately, Barbera had a setback during the 1900, farmers were more interested in the quantity of the grapes to sell than in the quality. In 1946 the Barbera d’Asti and Monferrato wine consortium was created, but the debut of today Barbera was only in the Sixties, thanks to Giacomo Bologna, the founder of the Braida winery. He believed in this grape’s possibilities and decided to experiment using a barrique to age her. He was an inspiration for the other wine producers of the area that understood the importance of this wine and followed him. 

Today Barbera is the most grown grape in Piedmont. Always with high acidity and low tannins, Barbera wine it’s drinkable very young, with notes of ripe cherries, or after being aged in wood, which would make her more elegant, softening the acidity and giving more structure. This last one can be aged more in the bottle and gives you notes of spices, dark cherries and violets.

But now, let’s talk about the main denominations of Langhe and Monferrato areas.

BARBERA D’ALBA DOC

The area of production is Langhe surrounding the town of Alba.

By disciplinary the composition must be at least 85% Barbera, the rest can be of another red grape.

The color is dark ruby, with light purple reflexes.

The wine is typically fruit forward, in the nose you’ll have notes of red fruits, such as fresh cherries and raspberries with a hint of roses. 

In the mouth she is dry, with the same fruity notes. You can sense the acidity typical of Barbera wine. 

You can also find Barbera d’Alba Superiore DOC, the aging is at least twelve months total, with at least four in wood. 

BARBERA D’ASTI DOCG 

The production area is wide and consists of different towns between Asti and Alessandria province. 

By disciplinary the composition must be at least 90% Barbera grapes and the rest 10% could be another type of black grape from Piedmont. 

The color is dark ruby red and tends to turn more garnet with aging. 

In the nose she is intense, you can feel fruity notes, such as dark cherries, dark wild fruits and blackberries. Aging this wine for a longer time gives you notes of cinnamon, licorice, chocolate and fruity jam. 

In the mouth you feel the fruity notes with the typical acidity of the wine. The aging gives you some tannins, thanks to the wood, and a velvety sensation in the palate.

The Superiore version requires at least twelve months of aging, in which at least for six months has to be put in wood. 

NIZZA DOCG

Historically, Nizza area is one of the most suitable for Barbera production, therefore the winemaker asked for the DOCG and obtained it in 2014. Today is one of the top-quality Barbera. 

The area of production consists of eighteen towns around Nizza Monferrato. The grapes are grown in the best spots of the vineyards, south, southeast and southwest exposition. 

By disciplinary the composition must be 100% barbera grapes. 

The color can be dark ruby or dark garnet with more aging. 

In the nose you find notes of dark cherries, plums and dark berries, that can evolve in fruit jam, cocoa bean and balsamic notes, such as eucalyptus. With a longer aging in wood, the wine will also have cinnamon and licorice notes.

In the mouth Nizza DOCG has a long persistence and a finish in harmony with the elegant notes on the nose. The aging gives this wine complexity and some elegant tannins, with a velvety sensation at the palate. 

Nizza DOCG is aged for at least eighteen months, with a minimum of six in wood. 

Nizza DOCG riserva is aged for a longer time: a minimum of thirty months, with at least twelve in wood. 

Monferrato; between Legend and History

by : Alexa

In Piedmont, between the provinces of Alessandria and Asti, there is a vast region called Monferrato. Here the gaze gets lost in the seamless continuity of hills dotted with vineyards, lovely villages and magnificent castles, legacy of the great men who acted as leading roles for the history of Piedmont and Italy. 

Monferrato hills

This territory, which consists mostly of hills, is very large with many towns and villages placed between the two provinces of Asti and Alessandria. Southward, it stretches until reaching the area of the two Ligurian cities of Genoa and Savona, where the Ligurian Apennines are. To the east it borders with the other two wine regions of Langhe and Roero and to northeast with the Lomellina area, in Lombardy. Westward it merges into the area of Turin hills.

However, recently Monferrato has been divided into three main areas:

Basso Monferrato (Low Monferrato) is the area around the city of Casale Monferrato. The name “low” comes from the lower and smoother hills, which don’t reach 400 meters of altitude.

Monferrato Astigiano, that embraces most of the Asti province, except for the Langa Astigiana region.

Alto Monferrato (High Monferrato), the south part of the region, named like this because here the territory merges with the Apennines mountains and the hills are the highest in altitude.

The real origin of the name Monferrato is still debated, but I’ll tell you about the legend of the first Marquis of this region: Aleramo. 

Around the year 960 AD, Aleramo decided to swear allegiance to the emperor Ottone I. He received the title of Marquis and with it a great territory to rule over, but he fell in love with the beautiful Alasia, Ottone’s daughter. The emperor was against this relationship and because of this the couple decided to flee in the direction of southern Piedmont, the birth region of Aleramo. However, the noble man bravely fought against the Saracens, who were raiding inside the emperor’s territory. Ottone I was so pleased that he forgave the couple and established that Aleramo would have received the territory that he would have been able to cover in a wild horse ride of three days. He had to stop to shoe his horse, but in the end the Monferrato region was born. The name comes from “mun” and “frà”, which means brick and horse shoe respectively in the dialect of this area of Piedmont.

As for the true origin of Monferrato territory, it’s truly tied with the figure of Aleramo. Aside from the legend, this man really was a nobleman under the empire of Ottone I. We’re talking about the historical period around the year 1000 AD. During this time, those who were in the service of the emperor started to accumulate power and lands, figuring out ways to pass them on through inheritance. The main noble families who forged history were born this way. 

Aleramo established his dynasty, Aleramici family, and with it the March of Monferrato was ensured. His heirs ruled over it for four centuries. 

Throughout the Middle Ages this region was the main stage of battles between noble families and city-states. The Aleramici lost control over it and the title of Marquese passed through different families, the Paleologi before and then the Gonzaga from Mantova. With the latter, Monferrato culturally flourished again. At last, Spain conquered the territory, but it was soon torn apart by the War of Spanish Succession. 

In the XVIII century, Monferrato was formally put under the Asburgo family from Austria, but it was directly ruled by the Savoia family, the later Italian royals from Turin, thanks to the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. 

In the XIX century the region experienced turbulence during the Napoleonic wars but was able to arise again. Monferrato was then involved in the national movements leading to the unification of Italy in 1861, that started from Turin. 

Today, Monferrato reflects its great history. People are coming from all over the world to enjoy the wines, the food, the culture and the beautiful landscapes. 

Infernot

This region is also twice listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site: once as a wine-producing landscape with Langhe and Roero, and again as part of the “Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy”, with the “Sacro Monte of Crea”.

The “Sacri Monti'' (Holy Mountains) are marvelous architectural complexes between Piedmont and Lombardy. They stand on hilltops and are structured in sequences of chapels with paintings and sculptures representing Catholic subjects. They were built from the XV-XIX century, during the Catholic Reformation, as a simpler and more direct way of communicating with people the stories of Mary, Christ and the Saints. 

While as a UNESCO wine-producing landscape, Monferrato is noteworthy not only for the vineyards per se, but also for the “infernot”. These are little underground rooms that were dug in the “pietra da cantone”, a typical rock of the area, and used as secret cellars to store wines and food. The temperature and humidity are naturally maintained stable, creating an excellent environment for preserving the most precious bottles. Farmers built these architectural marvels during the long and harsh winters and each one of these cellars is unique, but there are still many to discover!

Another reason for the UNESCO title of Monferrato is the group of “Underground Cathedrals” of Canelli town, that you mustn’t miss. Dug up to 32 meters in tuff during the XIX century, they are defined as cathedrals because built as enormous rooms to store thousands of sparkling wine bottles, produced by the four historical wineries of the town: Gancia, Coppo, Contratto and Bosca. 

Visiting an Underground Cathedral means having a chance to taste the original sparkling wine of Italy, two birds with one stone! Indeed, Canelli is the place where the first Italian sparkling wine was created in 1865 thanks to Carlo Gancia, produced with the classic method. 

But, talking about wines, the most famous one, but not the only one, from Monferrato is for sure Barbera (here to read about Barbera wine), but it’s one of many that are produced in this area. Maybe you don’t know that Moscato d’Asti is also traditionally from Monferrato. I know that most people are not a fan of this sweet wine, but if the wine maker is doing a good job, the resulting product is a wine with a good balance between the sweetness and the natural aromaticity of the grape. 

The wines of the area are perfect with the traditional cuisine of Monferrato. Noteworthy are the rabaton and the agnolotti monferrini. Both are a main course, the first ones are similar to gnocchi, but made with chard, ricotta cheese and eggs, while the second is a ravioli pasta dish, filled with roasted meat. 

As for dessert, Casale Monferrato is the native city of krumiri cookies. They were invented in 1878, and shaped as a mustache, probably as an homage to the first king of Italy, Vittorio Emauele II, that died in the same year and had very impressive mustaches himself!

In conclusion, Monferrato is a region where legend and history converge. Its rich cultural heritage, encompassing both mythical tales and significant historical events, makes it a fascinating destination for those seeking to explore the past. Whether it's witnessing the ancient Palio di Asti or visiting the region's impressive castles, Monferrato offers a captivating experience that bridges the gap between legend and history.