Monferrato

The Monferrato appellation area is located in the southeastern part of the Italian region of Piedmont. Piedmont is the westernmost region of Italy. It borders France and Switzerland and is flanked by the Alps and the Apennines. Although not the leading wine-producing region in Italy, Piedmont is nonetheless considered a giant of Italian wine due to the quality of its products. 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 and 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 the variety accounts for more than 85% of the blend. Thus, the 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.