Albugnano DOC
Alongside Barbera, i.e. the wine that best connotes the entire Monferrato, there are many other prestigious native vines in this area that contribute to a unique biodiversity in the entire Italian wine scene.
This biodiversity is well epitomized by the numerous existing Designations protected by the Consortium.
They span from wines with a very distinctive local personality to the broad Piemonte designation, which encompasses all the regional wine diversity. No matter what the characteristics of each designation are, however, there is no change in the Consortium’s commitment to protect and promote each wine and its unique history and rich traditions.
SOILS
A wine is always the expression of the environment where it is cultivated, that makes it unique. Therefore, it is essential that we highlight the characteristics of the hills where the Barbera d’Asti grapes are grown.
The Monferrato took its present form over 2 million years ago, as a result of the process of erosion triggered by the withdrawal of the sea from what is now the Po Valley. The soils of Monferrato are generally poor in organic material and often dry in summer. There are two types of soils: the white soils and the Asti sands.
The white soils are the oldest; they are present in the area near Canelli, in the south of the province of Asti, in the Alessandria area and near Casale Monferrato. The wines produced from grapes that are cultivated here are full-bodied, rich in color and long-lived. The Asti sands are mostly found in the middle of the part of Monferrato that lies in the province of Asti, along the banks of the Tanaro river, on hills with steep slopes. The wines that are produced here are characterized by a relatively low acidity and faster maturation.
