Charming Monferrato
The hills, among the most beautiful in the world, are famous for their wines, such as the golden Asti Spumante, the full-bodied Barbera, the sweet Moscato, the fine Barolo and Barbaresco that can be discovered in the historical wine cellars; the splendid crutin, wine cellars dug in tuff and the “Underground Cathedrals” in Canelli, masterpieces of engineering and enological architecture. .
Others, known as infernot (the darkest corner), are small galleries hewn out of the soil by hand. They are also known as crutin, or small caves. The most prized wine has rested and aged in them for centuries.
The infernot in the Monferrato district have been included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
To the visitor Monferrato offers the great pleasure to discover a mosaic of shapes, colours and tastes.
From the sweet hills in the surroundings of Asti and Casale Monferrato, to the fertile flat land around Alessandria, to the prosperous high hills on the High Monferrato that reach the Apennines and catch the sea.
A land of flavours and perfumes, the changing colours of the vineyards with Moscato and Barbera grapes. Castles, ancient Churches and old farmhouse shape this harmonious landscape.
Asti, lies in the centre of three important and magic areas: the Monferrat, the Langhe and the Roero. It is considered the “greenest and tastiest heart” of Piedmont, one of important wines and food, so much that it is also known as “door to Paradise”. Asti is an ancient town with roman origins, a town of merchants, warriors and poets.
Cheers
A town rich of historic monuments, Roman-Gothic Churches, Medieval towers. In its surround-ings, Canelli is the capital of “Spumante” and of the magnificent “ underground Cathedrals”, the cellars covered in cotto that develop underground for few kilometers.
It hosts many im-portant names of Moscato wine and Asti Spumante: Gancia, Bosca, Contratto and Coppo. To visit these ancient cellars means to appreciate the history of important wine maker’s family and delight oneself with the savours and bouquets of important wines.
Nizza Monferrato, once known as “Nizza of the hay” not to confuse it with the french town is the famous capital of the great Barbera wine, that boasts the title of “Lady in Red” for the bright, lush colour. It is surrounded by hypnotic hills, covered with master of the art vineyards.
