Asti Wine Country Guide
Pop the cork on Italy’s most seductive bubbles: Asti, where sunlit Piedmont hills craft fragrant and elegant Moscato magic.
Explore Asti
Asti (“Ah‑stee”) is Piedmont’s sparkling soul. Tucked between the Tanaro River and the Ligurian Apennines, this small pocket of hills turns fragrant Moscato Bianco grapes into Italy’s most irresistible bubbles. If you crave intensely aromatic, low‑alcohol fizz that smells like summer in a glass, you’ve come to the right place.
On the label you’ll see Asti DOCG (for the fully sparkling wine) or Moscato d’Asti DOCG (for the lightly sparkling frizzante). One name, two distinct delights: both born from the same grape, yet each with its own texture and personality.
This landscape—part of the UNESCO‑listed Langhe‑Roero‑Monferrato vineyards—sprawls across 51 communes of steep, south‑facing slopes that rise 650-1650 feet (200‑500 m) above sea level. The altitude, limestone‑marl soils, and the cool evening sea breezes slow ripening and lock in intense aromas of peach, orange blossom, and wild sage.
Why are the wines here so distinctive? We can thank Federico Martinotti, who patented the now‑famous tank method in nearby Asti in 1895. His innovation captures Moscato’s delicate aromatics without burying them under long aging, making Asti wines brighter, fruitier, and refreshingly low in alcohol (4.5 ‑ 9.5 % ABV).
Today, strict DOCG rules demand limited yields, hillside vineyards, and a minimum of 97 % Moscato Bianco in every bottle. The result: more concentration, finer bubbles, and a purity of fruit you won’t find in mass‑market sweet sparklers.
Ready to taste Asti at the source? Plan your bubbly getaway—wineries, underground cathedrals, truffle hotspots, and more—on our dedicated Asti Travel Guide page.
Fun facts about Asti
- The area under vine is 22,600 acres (9,800 ha).
- Not all Asti is sweet!
- There are over 4000 winemakers and over 200 bottling companies in Asti.
- From Torino, you can be in the vineyards of this region in a 60 minute drive.
- Latitude in Asti is similar to Bordeaux, 45°N.
- Asti became a DOC in 1967 and a DOCG in 1993.
- The hills of the region are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- The highest elevation is 1650 feet (500 m) above sea level.
- 100% of the wine made in this DOCG is white wine.