The Albugnano, the Doc born in 1997 among the hills since ancient rural charm of Pino d'Asti, Castelnuovo Don Bosco, Passerano Marmorito and Albugnano, all in the province of Asti will have its own sanctuary: On Saturday 7 May, the Albugnano Regional Enoteca will be inaugurated, a project which already involves 25 wine producers and aims to become a promotional and tourist reference for the North of Asti and the Turin hills.
During the whole day it will be possible to savor the symbolic wines of the area, starting with the Albugnano Doc and then the Freisa d'Asti and that of Chieri Doc, the Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco Doc, the Barbera d'Asti Docg and all other denominations of origin. An "open door" for enthusiasts, connoisseurs, wine lovers, gourmets and the simply curious, with guided tastings by the 25 member producers of the Enoteca.
The Regional Enoteca based in Via Roma is proposed as a place where appreciate the different souls of Albugnano Doc and other denomination of origin wines, in addition to the numerous agri-food excellences of a territory rich in typicality, between the Turin hills and the north of Asti; but also an information and tourist starting point for discovering the artistic and cultural treasures of the "Romanesque", starting with the nearby magnificent Vezzolano Abbey or the Church of San Pietro itself in Albugnano.
"This inauguration marks the beginning of a journey that will see the Albugnano Regional Enoteca as an amplifier of the innumerable treasures of an area of Piedmont rich in history, culture and excellent craftsmanship and food and wine - says Giancarlo Montaldo, President of the Regional Enoteca of Albugnano -. Through the enhancement of wines and other agri-food products, such as those based on Piedmont hazelnuts, fruit and vegetables preserved in glass, jams, honey and others, we want to promote the territory as a whole and highlight its strengths, starting from the natural, landscape and human riches, up to the historical, artistic and architectural traditions. I am thinking, in particular, of Romanesque art, of which these hills are one of the cradles of excellence on a Piedmontese and Italian level”.
The production disciplinary for Albugnano: 85% of Nebbiolo and 15% of Freisa, Barbera, Bonarda
According to the production specification the denomination of controlled origin "Albugnano" is reserved for wines obtained from grapes from vineyards with the following ampelographic composition: minimum 85% Nebbiolo; Freisa, Barbera, Bonarda (alone or jointly) maximum 15%. The production area of the grapes must fall within the administrative territory of the municipalities of Albugnano, Pino d'Asti, Castelnuovo Don Bosco and Passerano-Marmorito, all in the province of Asti.
The environmental and cultivation conditions of the vineyards must be the traditional ones of the area and, in any case, capable of giving the grapes and the resulting wines the specific quality characteristics.
Therefore, only the hilly vineyards of suitable position and exposure are to be considered suitable, with the exclusion of those planted on land at the bottom of the valley or facing north. Finally, the forms of farming must be espalier.
The official seat of the Albugnano Regional Enoteca is the former "Camilla Serafino" Elementary School, in the heart of the charming Piedmontese village, defined as "the balcony of Monferrato" due to its altitude (549 meters above sea level) and the panorama that offers from the Belvedere overlooking the hills of Basso Monferrato and a large part of the western Alpine arc.
The headquarters of the Regional Enoteca will be open from Friday to Monday all day from 10,30 to 18,30. There are several initiatives already in the pipeline that the Enoteca will promote in the coming months: from the organization of picnics in the most fascinating places in the area to the creation of "blind" tastings to learn more about all the peculiarities of the food and wine specialties promoted.
"Currently the Enoteca is made up of 25 members, all wine producers, in addition to the Municipality of Albugnano – concludes Montaldo -. But soon many other wine-growing and agri-food realities will join our family who have the desire to make themselves known to a wider public and, at the same time, to create a network to make the area in which they operate and produce even more hospitable and full of opportunities. Naturally, we hope to be able to involve the other Municipalities of the area in the social fabric to develop an organic project between private and institutional activities".
