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EDITORIAL<br />
– FRANÇOIS GILBERT –<br />
Editorial Director<br />
THE EVER-FASHIONABLE ASTI AND MOSCATO D’ASTI<br />
Such has been the Prosecco phenomenon over the last decade<br />
that it is easy to forget that one name – or wine – has encapsulated<br />
the flavour of Italy for almost a hundred years: Asti! Located in<br />
Piedmont, and demarcated in 1932, it extends across the provinces<br />
of Alessandria, Asti and Cuneo, and is now divided into two related<br />
appellations: Moscato d’Asti Docg and Asti Docg.<br />
These have always been wines for celebration, grown in incredible<br />
vineyards that follow the contour of the hills. The area is home to<br />
unique scenery that you will not find in any other Italian region.<br />
It also boasts a huge ‘garden’ of Moscato vines, covering almost<br />
10,000 hectares, with slopes that can have staggering inclines of<br />
over 50%.<br />
Moscato d’Asti is a natural semi-sparkling wine, while Asti is a<br />
sparkling wine, but both of them benefit from the incredible<br />
aromatic spectrum of their shared grape variety, with suggestions of<br />
wisteria, lime, peach, apricot and notes of sage and orange blossom<br />
to name a few. These are gentle wines and their low alcohol content<br />
allows them to resonate with the mood of the day. 85 million<br />
bottles are produced annually, divided between some 50 million of<br />
Asti and 35 million of Moscato d’Asti. 85% of output is exported,<br />
providing irrefutable proof of their success. These are most definitely<br />
wines to look out for without further ado!<br />
4 SPRING 2021 GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE
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