Category Archives: Asti

December 23, 2025 · 2:47 am

All that Sparkles for the New Year

 

 

Whether you choose White, Rosè, or Red, Dry or Sweet, Spumante or  Champagne, sparkling wine adds a festive note to every holiday get together. Here are some that you might enjoy.

Conegliano Prosecco Superiore DOCG Rive di Ogliano Brut Natural 2022 BiancaVigna made from 100% Glera from vineyards at 150 to 180 meters. The soil is clayey, limestone and rocky clay. Estate-owned vineyards are located in Ogliano. Named after the “Riva di Ogliano,” the steep hill where the grapes used to make this wine grow. Harvest is in the middle of September. Prise de mousse (sparkling process): the second fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks (cuvée close) at controlled temperatures with indigenous selected yeasts and lasts 150 days. Tartaric stabilization at low temperature. Bottle refinement for three months before release. This is a complex wine with hints of green apple, pear, peach, stone fruits and floral notes.  Alcohol: 11.5. Residual Sugar 1.5 g/l. $23

Caprettone Spumante Method Classico 100% Caprettone CasaSetaro Production zone Alto Tirone, Vesuvius National Park in the region of Campania. The age of the vineyards is 18 to 25 years. They are at 350 meters and the training system is espalier, guyot trained with a few buds per plant. Vinification: maceration at 4C in steel tanks, fermentation for 18 to 24 days, the second fermentation takes place after about six months. The wine remains on the lees for 30 months and remains in bottle for about 12 months before release.  The Caprettone grape is excellent for making Spumante method classico because it has very good body and produces a round and elegant wine.$25

Ferrari Brut NV Methodo Classico 100% Chardonnay. Trento DOC.  The grapes are picked by hand at the end of August and beginning of September. They come from various communes in the Val d’Adige, Val di Cembra and Valle dei Laghi. The vineyards are between 300 and 600 meters above sea level, with southeast or southwest exposure. The wine is aged for at least 24 months on the lees. Selected yeast from Ferrari’s own cultures are used. The wine has hints of apples, wildflowers and a delicate touch of brioche and undertones of ripe citrus fruit. $30

 

Durello 36 Riserva Extra Brut Metodo Classico DOC made from 85% Lessini Durello and 15% Pinot Noir Sandro Bruno. The soil is volcanic with basaltic rocks. The vineyard is 4 hectares with a southern exposure at 500 meters. The vines are 35 years old. The vineyards are cultivated without the use of pesticides. Manual harvest takes place the 3rd week of September. There is a selection of grapes followed by a soft pressing in a nitrogen saturation at a low temperature. Fermentation is in steel tanks for both grapes. After fermentation the lees are preserved by performing weekly batonnage for 8 months. Sugars 1g/l.  The wine remains on its own yeast for 36 months. It ages in bottle for 6 more months before release. This is an intense wine with mineral aromas. The wine has hints of white flowers, pear, almonds and a note of lemon. $28

Franciacorta  DOCG  Extra Brut 2018 Vintage Collection Ca’ del Bosco (Lombardia) made from 65%  Chardonnay, 5% Pinot Bianco and 30% Pinot Nero from 27 certified organic vineyards. Grapes are hand harvested and each individual bunch is washed and dried. Fermentation takes place for 5 months in oak barrels. The wine remains on the yeasts for an average of 48 months. This is an elegant wine with hints of citrus fruit, apple and pear lemon and a touch of pineapple. One of my favorites. $66

Champagne Boizel Ultime Zero made from 50% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 10% Meunier and 30% is reserve wines. Produced only from grapes selected for their high level of maturity.  Dosage Zero  No dosage is used to give the wine greater roundness at the end of the crafting process and all the attention is focused on obtaining a very pure and subtle harmony. The wine is aged on the lees for 5 years. It is a complex Champagne fully developed with hints of peaches, white flowers, gingerbread, lightly toasted almonds and good acidity. $49

Champagne Ruinart Brut Rosé NV made from 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay from Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards. About 18% of the Pinot Noir added is still wine. It has red fruit aromas and flavors with hints of raspberries and strawberries. $119

Otto Uve, Gragnano della Penisola Sorrentina DOC Made from 60% Piedirosso, Aglianico, and Sciascinoso, and 40% Suppezza, Castagnara, Serbegna, Olivella and Sauca. The eight grape varieties in the blend give this wine its name. It is a tribute to the lesser known grapes of the area. The training system is espalier. The vineyard is at 300 meters.  Harvest began on September 24th and ended on October 8th. The grapes were hand harvested into boxes of 20 kg. After destemming and crushing, maceration with the skins lasted for 5 days, soft pressing of the grapes in a pneumatic press and fermentation in temperature controlled tanks at about 20C. The wine was bottled in the beginning of  December. It should be served chilled and drunk within two years after bottling. It is a slightly frizzante red wine $18

Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce IGP ‘RossoViola’ (ruby red in color) 2020 Luciano Saetti made from 100% Salamino di Santa Croce. The vines are 40 years old and the training system is guyot and spalliera. Soil is deep grey clay, sand and silt. Harvest is manual. Grapes are crushed and the resulting spontaneous fermented must goes into steel tanks at a controlled temperature. The alcoholic fermentation process is concluded without the grapes being pressed. The sediment falls spontaneously to the bottom of the tank, avoiding any micro-filtering. The spring after a second fermentation takes place in the bottle initiated by the addition of grape must at a controlled pressure and temperature. It is fermented to dryness. After refinement that takes at least four months, the bottles are hand riddled and disgorged.  The date of this operation is shown on the back label (complete with day, month and year). The wine has hints of violets and red berries with sweet spice notes and a touch of plums.  Organic certified. No sulfur is added to the wines. $21

Moscato d’ Asti DOCG Tre Secoli made from 100% Moscato. There is a soft pressing of the grapes followed by a fermentation in temperature controlled autoclaves. Sugar level is 120 G/L and the alcohol is 5%. The wine has hints of fresh fruit, white peach, apricot and ginger. $12

Asti DOCG Millesimato Cuvage Dolce 2018 made from 100% Moscato. The vineyards are at 250 to 400 meters. Grapes are harvested the first week of September. After pressing the clusters and cold static decantation, inoculation of the selected yeasts takes place with fermentation up to 5.5 degrees alcohol. Maturation of the Cuvèe is for several months in stainless steel on its own yeasts. Maturation on the lees for a minimum of 18 months and 6 months in the bottle before release. Undosed: 100g/l this sugar is the result of the natural sweetness of the must, nothing has been added. The wine has hints of brioche, freshly baked bread, white flowers, and acacia with a hint of vanilla and a touch of pepper. $19. A few months ago I went to a tasting of Asti Spumante at a Japanese restaurant and it worked with the sushi.

Leave a comment

Filed under Asti, Asti Spumante, Champagne, Moscato d'Asti, Sparkling wine, Spumante

November 24, 2023 · 2:26 am

A Classic Italian Combination: Asti Spumante and Panettone.

Bread and butter, wine and cheese:  some things are just meant to go together.  Asti Spumante and Panettone belong on that list of perfect combinations.

Asti Spumante DOCG and Moscato d’Asti DOCG come from the Moscato Bianco (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains) strain of grapes.  It is one of the oldest known varieties of wine grapes and grows in the Piedmont regions of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato. The zone is located between the Ligurian Coast and the Alps.

Moscato d’Asti is made from the same grape as Asti Spumante and has many of the same flavors and aromas. It is also low in alcohol, around 5% by volume. The difference is that Moscato d’Asti is only slightly sparkling (frizzante) and it is vintage dated, while Asti Spumante is not dated and is considered a Spumante. Moscato d’Asti should be drunk as close to the vintage date as possible. The two wines share the same DOCG.

For Asti Spumante the grapes are refrigerated at zero degrees until they reach a second fermentation, a process that can be accomplished either according to the “Martinotti Method” or  the complex “Classico Method.” Recently, the range of residual sugars has been expanded from traditional sweet to extra dry, from brut to pas dosé. Asti Spumante is known world wide as a sparkling wine to be drunk every time there is a reason to celebrate.

For Moscato d’Asti, there is a gentle pressing of the grape bunches by a pneumatic press. The must is clarified in order to eliminate the solid residue and any other undesired components it may contain. Alcoholic fermentation takes place through the addition of select yeasts at a controlled temperature.  The limpid and cooled must is poured into large tanks and repeatedly filtered to prevent spontaneous fermentation. Moscato d’Asti does not go through a second fermentation in the bottle.  Instead, the second fermentation is performed in a single tank (autoclave) using the Martinotti method, in which bubbles are trapped in the wine via carbonation in the tank. Yeasts are eliminated by filtration or centrifugation. The wine is then kept in cooling tanks at about -3C so that fermentation does not start.  At the time of bottling, the temperature is raised until fermentation begins.  It is stopped at about 5% alcohol. Fermentation can be stopped and then started so that the wine can be bottled several times a year. This aromatic wine should be enjoyed young when it is at its freshest.

Both Moscato d’Asti and Asti Spumante have aromas of apricot, pear, peach, honeysuckle, mandarin orange, jasmine and white flowers.

I was able to taste and enjoy both wines along with traditional Panettone from Brooklyn’s own Settepani Bakery.

Panettone is a sweet Italian traditional Christmas cake. It comes in many different varieties and can contain raisins, nuts, chocolate, candied citrus and other fruits, and more.  Some are iced while others are glazed or topped with sugar crystals,

Chef Bilena Settepani from Settepani supplied the Panettone

We were served slices of three different varieties of panettone and I enjoyed them all.

Here are just a few of the wines I tasted:  

Balbi Soprani Asti Dolce

Caudrina La Salvatica Asti (Label by the late legendary grappa producer Romano Levi)

Ceretto I Vignaioli di San Stefano Moscato d’Asti

Bava Bass Tuba Moscato d’Asti

Braida (Giacomo Bologna) “Vigna Senza Nome” Moscato D’ Asti

Panettone with Asti Spumante or Moscato d’Asti is the perfect way to entertain guests this holiday season.

1 Comment

Filed under Asti, Asti Spumante, Moscato d'Asti, Panattone, Uncategorized

April 23, 2012 · 5:03 am

Fiorenzo Dogliani and the Wines of Beni di Batasiolo

When I was the wine director at I Trulli Restauant, we carried a number of Batasiolo wines. They were very well made wines and very well priced.  But I had not tasted these wines in a few years so when I received an invitation for a tasting and lunch at Il Postino, I was happy to accept.

Mr. Fiorenzo Dogliani

My host was Mr. Fiorenzo Dogliani, a charming and knowledgeable man, not only about wine but also about everything in the Langhe.  During the lunch we spoke about Piedmontese wine in general, the food of the area and the restaurants. I really enjoyed speaking to him.

He related a little of the history of the winery.  Dogliani was the original name but it had to be changed in 1978. This was done, Mr. Dogliani said, to avoid confusion with a large co-operative, which produced Dolcetto in the Dogliani designation. He said that there were seven beni– farmhouses with vineyards- when they brought the property in La Morra in the 1950’s. The name Beni di Batasiolo was chosen because it was in keeping with the tradition that identifies a real value with the term “bene”, here applied to the land, the vineyards and the farm. The winery now has nine “beni” covering a total of over 100 hectares, 60 of which are planted with Nebbiolo.  Mr. Dogliani said that they have a philosophy of the land, understanding the terroir and using mostly traditional grapes and methods.

The Wine

Gavi del Comune di Gavi DOCG 2010 100% Cortese The vineyards are at 100/200 meters and there are 3,500 vines per hectare. They use the Guyot system modified into small arches. There is soft pressing with static decanting, and the alcoholic fermentation is under strict temperature control. The wine is bottled after malolactic fermentation. The wine has aromas of white flowers with hints of white peaches, citrus and good acidity. $18.9

Barbera D’Alba “Sovrana” DOC 2009 100% Barbera.  Mr Dogliani made the point that the vineyards are in Barolo and La Morra at 400/450 meters, facing south and southwest in the area that is usually reserved for Nebbiolo. It is calcareous soil rich in potassium and the vines are 55 years old. He feels this excellent position and the age of the vines along with the soil makes it a Barbera with unique qualities that can age.

The harvest takes place on Oct 2nd. Alcoholic fermentation with maceration on the skins is in stainless steel tanks for 10/12 days. In the spring the wine is transferred into oak barrels (second passage) where it matures for 12/15 months. After careful sampling the wine is assembled into the final product. The wine remains in bottle for 8/10 months before release.  This is a Barbera with good structure, tannin, fruit and acidity and it will age. $22.99

Barbaresco DOCG 2008 Made from 100% Nebbiolo. The area of production is the semi-circle of hills surrounding the three ancient villages of Barbaresco, Nieve and Treiso and part of San Rocco Seno d’Elvio, a tiny village overlooking the Tanaro River. Harvesting takes place from Oct 10 to 20.  Alcoholic fermentation takes place along with long maceration on the skins in stainless steel. The wine is aged for one year in traditional Slavonian oak barrels and one year in bottle. $36 

Barolo DOCG 2007 Made from 100% Nebbiolo, in its subvarities of Michet, Lampia and Rosé. Harvest takes place from the 10th of October to the first ten days of November. Traditional fermentation takes place in stainless steel with long maceration on the skins for 15/20 days.  Aging takes place in traditional Slavonion oak casks for 2 years and one year in bottle before release. The wine had flavors and aromas of dried fruit, spice and a touch of tobacco and leather. $40

Moscato D’Asti DOCG 2010 100% Moscato Bianco. The vines are grown in the hill terrain of Serralunga with a north, northwest exposure at 380- 410 meters. There are 3,500 vines per hectare and the vines are 15 years old. The soil is of calcareous and marl. Harvest takes place during the last 10 days of September. The grapes are hand picked and delivered to the winery in 20Kg containers, keeping the bunches intact as much as possible. There is a soft pressing of the grapes and a partial fermentation with abundant residual sugar. The juice is then cooled to zero C and stored in refrigerated vats. Fermentation begins a month before the first bottling, a very slow process reaching 5.5% alcohol by volume. It has aromas and flavors of pineapple; melon and a slight hint of oranges $16.99 

Moscato Spumante Rosè 2010 Made from Moscato Bianco and Moscato Rosa. Mr. Dogliani said that the Moscato Rosa came from the Trentino area. The grapes are harvested at the peak of ripeness.  After pressing the juice is then filtered in specially designed centrifuges. The liquid is stored in thermally insulated containers at extreme low temperatures. The secondary fermentation takes place in pressure tanks following the charmat method. This was a very easy wine to drink, with aromas and flavors of fresh red fruit $16.99 (the wine is not a Piemonte DOC because the Moscato Rosa came from Trentino.

Leave a comment

Filed under Asti, Barbaresco, Barbera, Barolo, Beni di Batasiolo, Gavi, Italian Sparkling Wine, Moscato d'Asti, Piedmont, Sparkling wine, White wine

December 27, 2011 · 3:35 am

Sparkling Italians

One year we spent New Year’s Eve in Venice. We went to a restaurant and had a wonderful seafood dinner and drank sparkling wine. We began with Prosecco and then had a Franciacorta Brut.  With our dessert we drank an Asti Spumante. Walking back to our hotel through Saint Mark’s Square just after midnight was quite an experience. The whole square was filled with people popping sparkling wine corks, drinking the wine from the bottle, laughing and carrying on, and then smashing the bottles on the ground.  To get back to our hotel, we walked through the square as quickly as possible!

The Lion of Saint Mark

Since then we often serve Italian sparkling wine with a seafood dinner for New Years Eve and remember that night in Venice.

Italy produces a vast array of sparkling wines referred to as spumante. They make it in every form from dosage zero (driest) to demi sec (off dry) and everything in between.  Many different grape varieties are used and the wine is made by either the Charmat method wherein the second fermentation takes place in a temperature controlled stainless steel tank, or Metodo Classico where the secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle.  They also produce wines, which are slightly sparkling, and these they refer to as frizzante.

Prosecco from the Veneto is the number one selling sparkling wine in Italy. Almost all Prosecco is made by the Charmat method. I like Prosecco as an aperitif, with appetizers, seafood risotto and with fried foods. In Rome I always enjoy Prosecco with fried zucchini flowers stuffed with mozzarella and anchovies. There are many good Proseccos on the market at very reasonable prices.

Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG “Rustico” Brut Nino Franco 100 % Glera grape. Traditionally the grape was called Prosecco. This is the least expensive of their wines.  $16

Prosecco  “Organic” Treviso DOC Mionetto Made from certified organically grown grapes without the use of synthetic chemicals and fertilizers.  $15

Bisol, Valdo, Aneri are other producers that I lik

There are individual producers that make good Spumante in the Metodo Classical style in Italy but in general I believe that the best come from the regions of Lombardy (Franciacorta) and Trentino.

Franciacorta

The label on a bottle of Franciacorta only bears the designation “Franciacorta”, this single term defines the territory, the method of production and the wine. All Franciacorta is Metodo Classico and DOCG.

Franciacorta is made from Chardonnay and/or Pinot Noir; Pinot Bianco can be used as well, up to 50% of the blend

Franciacorta Gran Cuveé Saten Brut Bellavista A special cuvee made from 100%Chardonnay selected from the best vineyard. It is made in the cremant style resulting in lower CO2 pressure, the defining feature of all Saten wines. It is produced in limited quintiles using old small barrels as was once practiced in the past.  Saten is a blanc de blancs and can be made from Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco up to 50%   $50

Franciacorta Brut this non- vintage wine is made from 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir Berlucchi The wine is fermented for six months in stainless steel and aged for 12 months before disgorging. After disgorging the bottle is aged for 2 more months in the cellar before release. $30

Dosage Zero Millesimato  Franciacorta  This vintage wine is made from 60% Chardonnay, 23% Pinot Bianco and 17% Pinot Noir. Ca’ del Bosco The average age of the vines is 31 years and the harvest takes place the first week of September. $50

Other producers Contadi Castaldi and Monte Rose-look for their Rose Brut

Trentino

Ferrari Brut NV Trento DOC Metodo Classico 100% Chardonnay. The grapes are picked by hand at the beginning of September. They come from various communes in the Val d’Adige, Val di Cembra and Valle dei Laghi. The vineyards are between 300 and 700 meters above sea level, with southeast or southwest exposure. The wine is aged for at least 24 months on the lees. The yeast is selected from Ferrari’s own cultures $25

Ferrari Rosé NV Trento DOC Metodo Classico 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. The grapes come from hillside vineyards around the town of Trento at 300 to 600 meters above sea level. The wine is aged for 25-30 months on the lees $37.

If you want something special to celebrate the New Year Italian style then I recommend what I believe may be the finest Metodo Classico wine made in Italy. It is about $100 a bottle and worth it.

Giulio Ferrari Riserva Del Fondatore This is a single vineyard reserve aged vintage wine. The grapes are picked at the end of September in the Maso Pianizza a vineyard owned by the Lunelli family  that owns Ferrari. The vineyard is in the commune of Trento and is between 500 and 600 meters above sea level with a southwesterly exposure. The wine spends at least 10 years on the lees.  They do not make this wine in every vintage.  The first vintage was 1972

Emilia Romagna

For many years the “industrial” sweet Lambrusco wine that was imported into this country was not very good.  It had a screw cap, was very inexpensive, very sweet and for some reason was very popular during the 1980’s. This sent the wrong message to serious wine drinkers. I often heard it said that no one could make a good Lambrusco!

This has changed and there are some excellent Lambruscos now available here. They were always available in Emilia.

In Italy on New Years Day it is traditional and good luck for the coming year to eat lentils. In Emilia the lentils would be served with cotechino, a large spiced pork sausage.  The wine they would drink with this meal would be a dry, low alcohol (11.5%), high acid Lambrusco with a strawberry accent that is a perfect combination with this dish.

Lambrusco Secco “Concerto” Reggiano DOC Made from the Lambrusco Salamino grape. It is a sparkling dry red wine with traditional fermentation in the Charmat Method. Ermete Medici & Figli. $15 

Lini and Ca de’ Medici are other good producers. Most Lambrusco is made by the Charmat Method but some producers also make a Metodo Classico.

Sparkling Dessert Wines- Piedmont

Asti DOCG (formally know as Asti Spumante) is made from the Moscato Bianco grape, also known as Moscato Canelli.  It is a sparkling wine produced by using the Charmat method. It is low in alcohol, about 7%, and has aromas and flavors of peach, honey and tropical fruits. It should be drunk young because the wine is at its best when it is fresh.

Often in the past I would see Italian/Americans putting a cube of sugar in their Asti. I was told it helped the bubbles and made the wine sweeter. Serve it with cookies, plain cakes and panettone.  From $14 to $20

Producers include Bera, Gancia, Cinzano, and Martini and Rossi.

Some producers also make a Metodo Classico

Moscato D’Asti DOCG is made from the same grape as Asti and has many of the same flavors and aromas. It is also low in alcohol around 6%. The difference is that this wine is slightly sparkling (frizzante) and it is vintage dated while Asti is not. It should be drunk as close to the vintage date as possible. The two wines share the same DOCG. From $15 t0 $20

Producers Michele Chiarlo, Fontanafredda, Elio Perrone, La Spinetta and Vietti

Asti and Moscato D’Asti can be found for around $20 a bottle

Brachetto D’Acqui DOCG is a sweet wine and it is most famous as a red sparkling wine. Made by the Charmat method. It is made from the Brachetto grape. It has intense berry flavors and aromas, especially strawberry, and goes very well with chocolate and all kinds of chocolate desserts.

Producers  include  Braida $30 and Banfi-Rosa Regale $20

HAPPY NEW YEAR

8 Comments

Filed under Asti, Franciacorta Brut, Italian Sparkling Wine, Moscato d'Asti, Spumante