Monferrato

The Monferrato appellation is located in the southeastern part of the Italian region of Piedmont. Piedmont is the westernmost region of Italy. It shares borders with France and Switzerland and is bordered by the Alps and the Apennines. Although it is not among Italy’s leading wine-producing regions, Piedmont is nonetheless considered a giant of the Italian wine industry due to the quality of its wines. Indeed, Piedmont has the largest number of DOCG and DOC zones, with a total of 50. Piedmont is thus the region with the highest proportion of classified wines.  Among these, the Italian DOC designation was granted to the Monferrato terroir in 1994.

The appellation criteria allow for grape varieties native to the region, as well as a few varieties from other origins, to be used in the production of red wines. Monferrato red wines may also include the names of the grape varieties used, provided that a single variety accounts for more than 85% of the blend. Thus, the grape varieties used in Monferrato red wines include Barbera, Bonarda, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grignolino, Pinot Noir, and Nebbiolo. Monferrato white wines may include grape varieties not native to Piedmont, such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. Within this appellation, the quality of the Monferrato wines produced by the Scagliola brothers is particularly noteworthy.