The fine wines of the Langhe > Moscato wine

The cultivation of Moscato vine in the area of Asti is very much ancient: it is mentioned in some documents of the municipality of Cannelli in 1200. According to an ancient Asti tale, the origins of Moscato date back to the time of Stanzianelli, who were the founders of the city of Asti. Giovan Battista Croce, a Milanese jeweller who moved to Turin at the end of the century, is considered the Moscato d’Asti’s father. He was Carlo Emanuele I’s jeweller and goldsmith, and he was also the owner of a vineyard on the Turinese hill between Montevecchio and Candia, where he experimented and bettered vineyard growing techniques. In his cellars he created a technique to prepare sweet, aromatic, and little alcoholic wines. He published, in 1606, after collecting advises and indications, a volume titled “About the excellence and diversity of the wines made on the mountain of Turin and about the way of make them”. In order to obtain Moscato wine, grapes are white-vinified, separating them from their stalks from the moment of the pressing. After the must yielding, the so-called “cover” is created and calculated doses of correctives, defecatings, and coagulatings are added. Then there is a first filtering, which is repeated periodically so that the wine is kept sweet. The must which is obtained is called “sweet filtered”. Natural Moscato wine can be directly sold or made into champagne-like wine. There are several areas of production, among which there are numerous municipalities of the province of Asti, Cuneo, and Alessandria; sunny and hilly vineyards, whose ground is preferably calcareous or calcareous-clayey, are the only ones which are suitable (except for valley floor vineyards or those which are located on plan, light, and humid territories); there are 7.428 Moscato wine producers, 8.958 hectares of vineyards, which lead to a maximum production per year of 717.674 hl, and an average one of 524.220 hl; the only vines which are allowed are the white Moscato types; its colour is a more or less intense pale or golden yellow; its smell is characteristic and fragrant, which is typical of Moscato grapes; its taste is sweet, aromatic, and characteristic of moscato; there is no ageing considered; its ideal matchings are desserts, fruit, and ice-creams.