The city of Asti, Piedmont, major center of one of most important wine-growing regions, will host its historic festival on September 16: the “Palio di Asti“.
The “Palio of Asti” is the Italy’s most ancient horse race, it has been run since 1275.
For the occasion, the central Piazza Alfieri turns into a racetrack. In the same day a historic procession takes place, with over 1200 characters wearing medieval costumes — including the “Sbandieratori” (traditional flag-wavers), parading through the streets of the ancient centre of the town. Details on
Palio di Asti Website
The area surrounding Asti is well-known for excellent red wines, such as: Barbera d’Asti, Barbera del Monferrato, Cisterna d’Asti, Brachetto, Dolcetto d’Asti, Grignolino d’Asti. Among the whites, we suggest to taste the Asti, a sweet wine, sparkling or still, ideal to accompany pastries, desserts, and fruit.
The grape harvest season is now underway in many of the wine-growing regions in Italy. With the grape harvest season, also many grape and wine festivals are taking place across the Peninsula.
For wine travelers who are visiting Piedmont late September, the wine feast in Casale Monferrato (”Festa del Vino e del Monferrato“) is not to be missed. The festival is taking place from September 14 until 23 (in the week-ends only) in one of the better known areas for excellent wines.
Not far from Casale Monferrato and from Turin, the town of Nichelino will stage its grape and wine festival (”Festa del vino e dell’uva“) from September 19 through 23.
Of course each of these festivals offers free tasting session of local wines and delicacies.
-Where (When): Casale Monferrato (Sept 14-16 and Sept 21-23); Nichelino (Sept 19 through 23);
- See Casale Monferrato and Nichelino on the interactive map.
- Browse accommodations in Piedmont.
This week-end, the village of Barolo, in Piedmont, will celebrate the omonymous wine.
Barolo is a village located in the Langhe
, famed zone for the production of excellent wines and for the very appreciated typical produce.
The festival, which is the prelude to the grape harvest kick off, includes gastronomical itineraries and, of course, several tasting sessions of selected Barolo labels.
Barolo is a DOCG wine; the production zone of is in Piedmont, in the Langhe hills, southwest of the town of Alba.
It is a dry still, ruby red wine with maroon-orangey highlights. The taste is dry, full bodied, austere, with aroma of rose, violet and liquorice.
Alcohol: 13%; aging: minimum three years, five years to achieve the Riserva denomination.
Ideal to accompany barbeque, venison, and seasoned cheese.
- Travel Brief -
- Accommodation
Browse accommodations in Piedmont
Locate Langhe on the map.
The historic Castello Faletti di Barolo, in Serralunga d’Alba, Piedmont, will host a wine museum.
The castle, located in the heart of Langhe, in province of Cuneo, is a medieval fortress and an ideal home for a wine museum. It will be transformed inside and in three thousand square metres, through multimedia pictures, it will show how wine is made: processes, terrains, seasons, colours, tastes, but also tell about the history, literature, art, and smells.
The Langhe area is well known for famed wines as Barolo, Dolcetto, Barbaresco, Nebbiolo as well as for great food. Several of the local specialties are based on truffles; Alba 10km from Serralunga and the main center of the area, is named the ‘Italian capital of truffle’.
In a few minutes drive, within a few km range, the area offer visitors a lot of attractions and towns are worth to visit.
We suggest the following itinerary, in the area named “Via del Barolo” (Barolo road).
- Alba: The Duomo (XV Century), Medieval towers, S.Giovanni Battista Church, Castello di Grinzane (8 km outside the city) which (more…)
The wine itinerary proposed is centered on the Monferrato, in Piedmont, an area offering a host of interesting wine and gastronomical attractions.
The most important city in the area is Asti, 35 km from Turin, via A21 Highway.
From Asti start two itineraries: one heading toward north to the ‘Basso Monferrato’, the other one toward south to the ‘Alto Monferrato’ (now we are mostly covering the wines from ‘Basso Monferrato’).
- Some among the typical local Wines -
- Dolcetto d’Asti. (DOC); ruby red wine; dry still; Alcohol: 11.5%
- Barbera del Monferrato. (DOC); bright red wine; dry still / dry sparkling sweet / sweet still ; Alcohol: 12%
- Asti. (DOCG ); straw yellow ; sparkling sweet / sweet still ; taste: sweet; Alcohol: 12%
- Cisterna d’Asti. (DOC ); ruby red ; dry; taste: dry delicate; Alcohol: 12%
- Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese. (DOC ); ruby red ; dry still; taste: dry delicate; Alcohol: 11% - 13%
- Some Wineries in the area -
- Araldica Vini Piemontesi: 14040 Castel Boglione (AT); www.araldicavini.com
- Antica Casa Vinicola Scarpa 14049 Nizza Monferrato; www.scarpavini.it
- Bava 14023 Cocconato (AT); www.bava.com
- Bersano & (more…)
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