Monferrato

The Monferrato appellation area is located in the southeast of the Italian region of Piedmont. Piedmont is the westernmost region of Italy. It borders France and Switzerland and is bordered by the Alps and the Apennines. Although not one of Italy's leading wine-producing regions, Piedmont is still considered a giant of Italian wine due to the quality of its products. Piedmont has the largest number of DOCG and DOC areas, with a total of 50. This makes Piedmont the region with the highest proportion of classified wines.  Among these, the Italian DOC designation was granted to the Monferrato terroir in 1994.

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