| Wine region | |
 Bottle of Moscato d'Asti | |
| Official name | Asti |
|---|---|
| Type | DOCG |
| Year established | 1967 (DOC; elevated to DOCG 1993) |
| Country | Italy |
| Part of | Piemonte |
| Size of planted vineyards | 7,770 hectares (19,200 acres)[1] |
| Varietals produced | Moscato Bianco |
| Wine produced | about 36% of total Asti production, 665,790 hl (7.4 million cases)[1] |
Moscato d'Asti is a DOCG sparkling white wine made from the Moscato bianco grape and produced mainly in the province of Asti, northwest Italy, and in smaller nearby regions in the provinces of Alessandria and Cuneo. The wine is sweet and low in alcohol, and is considered a dessert wine. A related wine, Asti, is produced in the same area from the same grape.
Grown in the hilltop town of Asti in Montferrat, Piedmont, Moscato d’Asti is made by small producers in small batches.[2] Moscato is named such because of its earthy musky aroma. The ancient Romans called it the apiana. In the Medieval ages, it was popular, and documents that attest to its presence in Piedmont date as far back as the 14th century.[3]
Piedmont winemakers traditionally make this low alcohol wine with Muscat à Petits Grains, also known as Moscato bianco. This petite berry varietal ripens early and produces a wide range of different wine styles: light and dry, slightly sweet and sparkling or a rich, honey-like dessert wine.[2]
- ^ a b "Asti DOCG". Italian Wine Central. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
- ^ a b MacNeil, Karen (January 2001). The Wine Bible. New York: Workman Publishing. p. 335. ISBN 978-1-56305-434-1.
- ^ Wine Pass Italy