An October day full of Barbera - and more - in Nice, a food and wine itinerary to discover a corner of Piedmont that slowly reveals its beauty made up of hospitality, enchanting landscapes and gastronomic excellence that make this territory unique. Sunday 17 the "Giro Nizza" starts among hills, vineyards and houses of the "NIZZA" producers, to visit the vineyards, the cellars and taste great wines in the company of the Vigneron together with the good food of the area.
On foot, by bicycle or by car, the Tour of Nice leaves wine lovers free to move as they prefer. There are no arrival or departure points: everyone can choose the itinerary they prefer and the wineries they wish to visit which, in addition to tasting their wines, will offer a traditional dish prepared with typical products of the area, a way to enjoy the full flavor of the Asti Monferrato
The initiative which has met with considerable success in past pre-pandemic editions is organized by the Enoteca Regionale di Nizza Monferrato and the Condotte Slow Food of Alessandria in collaboration with the Association of Producers of Nizza, the City of Nizza Monferrato, the Barbera Consortium d'Asti and Monferrato wines.
The food and wine itinerary includes stops among the best Nizza DOCG wineries, a wine produced in a small area that includes 18 municipalities around Nizza Monferrato. This is the list of the wineries that have joined the tour: Antiche Cantine Brema, LHV Avezza Azienda Agricola, Cascina Collina Borgo Isolabella, Cantina di Nizza Cant. Sociale Barbera dei Sei Castelli, Cantina Tre Secoli Cantina di Vinchio & Vaglio Serra, Malgrà Cascina La Barbatella, Cascina Garitina Cascina Guido Berta, Cascina Lana Cossetti, Dacapo Distillerie Berta, Heir of Chiappone Armando Beppe Marino, Guasti Clemente La Gironda, L'Armangia Garetto Estate, Villa Giada Durio Adriano, Olimbauda La Canellese Estate, Pico Maccario Terre Astesane Mombercelli Winery, Serra DomenicoLa Patareina
"This year's edition is a special one because, after two years of forced arrest, we felt the need to go back to doing what we like: to tell our territory - says Piercarlo Albertazzi, creator of the event - Usually the Tour of Nice is one of the first spring events, this year we had to adapt to the situation we are experiencing, but this allows us to give other emotions, offering a different and even more evocative show, with the colors of autumn and the scents of the harvest.”
Already DOC since its inception, as a sub-area of Barbera d'Asti Superiore, since 2008, with the recognition of DOCG to Barbera d'Asti, it also becomes DOCG as Barbera d'Asti Superiore Nizza. Since 2014, Nizza has obtained its personal DOCG, exclusively as Nizza DOCG, a more than due recognition given the organoleptic characteristics present only in the Nizza Monferrato area and in the 18 neighboring municipalities.
“The Tour of Nice is not a simple event. Its longevity, the ability to adapt to time and continuous evolution tell the story of this land - says Mauro Damerio, president of the Nice Regional Enoteca - making it not a simple visit to the cellars but an entrance into the houses of the producers, to touch the their lives and understand the deepest meaning of what it means to be a group: running all together towards a single goal, making our wine known”
The Barbera d'Asti Superiore "Nizza" born in 2016 from the vine, cultivated for over 500 years in the Piedmont area is produced in 18 municipalities: Agliano Terme, Belveglio, Bruno, Calamandrana, Castel Boglione, Castel Rocchero, Castelnuovo Belbo, Castelnuovo Calcea, Cortiglione, Incisa Scapaccino, Moasca, Mombaruzzo, Mombercelli, Nizza Monferrato, Rocchetta Palafea, San Marzano Oliveto, Vaglio Serra, Vinchio.
The manufacturing companies are gathered in the Nice Producers Association based in the premises of the Regional Enoteca of Nice. Nice is also the land par excellence of the hunchback thistle, protected by the specific Consortium, and of the white truffle, specialties that can be tasted during the Patronal Fair of San Carlo – Truffle and Hunchback Thistle Day, in November.
Furthermore, it should not be forgotten that Nice is the homeland of the fine Piedmontese breed of meat, celebrated during the Fat Ox and Beef Fair, a zootechnical and food and wine event scheduled for the month of December.
Among the typical dishes: the green cake, which can be tasted during the Santo Cristo Fair, in April, the belacauda (chickpea flour) and bagna cauda, which characterizes two highly popular events: the Bagna Cauda del Camperista and Nizza è Bagna Cauda .
E-mail: girodelnizza@gmail.com
