About Piedmont Italy
Piedmont, in Italian means at the foot of the mountain. It was originally inhabited
by Celtic tribes, which were later absorbed by the Romans. This region represents
46 different DOC and four DOCG areas, Piedmont is the region that produces
the largest number of best known, noble and world appreciated prize-winning
wines.
Another distinguishing characteristic of Piedmont is that most of its wines are produced on family estates made up of relatively small parcels of land. The main grape grown here is the distinguished Nebbiolo, which is the base for the famed Barolo, Barbaresco and Gattinara among others.
Its' name is derived from the word nebbia, or fog, because of a velvety, whitish coating over its berries in addition to the fact that it grows in an area where, at ripening time in September, heavy morning fog is a given and the humidity that it provides gives the grapes an ideal habitat. The production of strong reds is predominant in this landlocked, mountainous region, however Asti Spumante has achieved national fame thanks to Carlo Gancia, who took his knowledge of Champagne methods and began utilizing Moscato grapes.
