Geography

Piedmont is a region located in the northwest part of Italy between the Ligurian Apennines and the Alps. This area occupies a significant territory in terms of the country's standards and is the second largest after the island of Sardinia. The capital of the region is the city of Turin, with a population of 1.6 million people. Other cities are less populous: Cuneo (52 thousand people), Novara (102 thousand people), Asti (70 thousand people), Alessandria (82 thousand people), and others. The region got its name thanks to its unique geographical location. Situated at the foot of the mountains (Ai piedi dei monti), the area earned its name - Piedmont (Piemonte).

The geography of Piedmont consists of numerous and diverse hills. They create a multitude of microclimates within the appellations, making it one of the most interesting regions in the world in terms of winemaking.

The Alps create a unique climate - with hot summers, humid autumns, and foggy winters. The border with France leaves its mark on the style and approach to production. Soils in each appellation vary greatly: here you can find both limestone deposits and clay and sand.

Piedmont was a part of France for a long time, and this influence is still felt here today.

Wine

All Italian wines are divided into three quality categories: DOCG (Denominazione di origine Controllata e Garantita - controlled and guaranteed designation of origin), DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata - controlled designation of origin), IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica - typical geographical indication).

Among the wines of Piedmont, the following are awarded the DOCG category: Alta Langa, Barbera d'Asti, Brachetto d'Acqui, Dolcetto di Diano d'Alba, and Dolcetto di Diano di Ovada, Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato.

Many wines in Piedmont belong to the DOC category: Barbera d'Alba and Barbera del Monferrato, Dolcetto (d'Asti, d'Alba, di Ovada, d'Acqui), Freisa d'Asti and Freisa di Chieri, Grignolino d'Asti and Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese, Malvasia di Casorzo d'Asti and Castelnuovo Don Bosco, Nebbiolo d'Alba. Wines of the lower category IGT are not represented at all. The Piedmont region is also known for some of its liqueurs, such as Nocciolino di Chivasso, Rosolio, and Vermouth (created in Turin in 1786).

Nebbiolo is the most popular and significant grape variety in Piedmont. In northern Piedmont, it has a separate name - spanna. This autochthonous grape yields excellent results only in the terroir conditions of Piedmont.

Among white varieties, cortese is popular - it is used to make the famous wines of Gavi di Gavi. The aromatic moscato bianco variety is known for its popular sparkling wines from Asti.

Other important autochthonous varieties of Piedmont include: reds - barbera, dolcetto, freisa, brachetto, grignolino, and whites - arneis, erbaluce.

Key appellations in the Langhe area include Barolo DOCG, Barbaresco DOCG, and Roero DOCG.

Asti is the largest DOCG in Piedmont.

Gavi is one of the most famous zones for the production of white wines in Piedmont and Italy.

In the town of Canelli, in 1865, Carlo Gancia created the first Italian sparkling wine from grapes. Its classic recipe remains unchanged to this day. It is said that Mr. Gancia adopted it from the monks of Epernay, France, with just a few improvements. In 1850, Gancia founded a company of the same name, which thrives to this day.

The local ancient cellars, also called "Underground Cathedrals," are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. They represent an underground labyrinth 1 km long with a unique cellar stretching 100 m - the longest in the city of Canelli. Covering an area of over six hundred square meters, the "Underground Cathedrals" house a museum and production areas with presses for grapes, tanks for fermentation, and storage of primary wine used to create high-quality sparkling wines. Carved from limestone tuff centuries ago, the cellars provide the best natural thermal insulation with a constant temperature regime, ideal for creating and aging sparkling wines of unsurpassed quality.

Food

Piedmont is famous for its cheeses, many of which have the status of "protected designation of origin" (DOP). The most famous is Castelmagno, which, according to ancient written sources, even served as a currency in the 13th century. This cheese is considered a true Piedmontese delicacy. Gorgonzola cheese is also actively exported from here, although originally it comes from Lombardy.

Piedmont boasts a stunning enogastronomic tradition: it is no coincidence that the Slow Food phenomenon emerged in this region, an association of non-profit world-renowned organizations aimed at preserving agricultural traditions and enogastronomy worldwide.

Piedmont offers a wide selection of cheeses. For example, in the province of Cuneo, there are numerous productions of the region's tastiest cheeses. Among the cheeses marked with the DOP sign, such varieties as Bra cheese, Castelmagno, Raschera, Toma Piemontese, and Robiola from Roccaverano are distinguished.

In the valleys of Pellice, Chisone, and Germanasca (province of Turin), Sarass del fen ("hay ricotta" - according to the Slow Food presidium, this is a type of ricotta enriched with milk, wrapped in oatgrass) is produced.

One of the most famous products in the Piedmont region is truffle, an underground mushroom that lives in symbiosis with the roots of certain plants. The more valuable white truffle, which should be consumed raw, and the black truffle, whose aroma is preserved after heat treatment, are distinguished.

The world-famous breadsticks, grissini, were also invented in Piedmont. Among sausages and meat products, it is worth mentioning doja (sausage in natural casing), meirond cow (smoked goat meat), salami made from horse and goose meat, brisola d'Ossola (veal or horse meat), and tapulon (stewed donkey meat, a typical dish of the Novara province).