Those of a certain age keep alive the memory of parties, birthdays, end-of-year lunches which always ended with a sweet toast, Asti spumante or Moscato d'Asti which could never be missing on official celebrations and Not. Then, oenologically, Italy broadened and refined its horizons, the tastes of Italians evolved in search of new scents. But Asti and Moscato d'Asti have never stopped their growth in Italy and abroad conquering new markets: Today almost 86 million bottles are produced by 3.700 wineries operating on 9.560 hectares of land they embrace 52 municipalities in the provinces of Asti, Alessandria and Cuneo.
A wine from the past and white hair? Far from it. Almost 90 years after the birth of the Consortium which at the time was called "for the defense of the typical Moscato d'Asti Spumante and Asti spumante wines", today's Consortium flexes the muscles of a twenty-year-old and launches a bold challenge aimed essentially at young people Asti Secco Docg.
It is almost as if it were a hiatus to put these two words Asti and Secco together. But the challenge, not a little daring, has started and was presented in Rome perhaps not by chance in the futuristic "Lanterna" by Massimiliano Fuksas which from via Tomacelli sweeps over the roofs of Rome like a sparkling wine obtained exclusively from Moscato grapes white, fruit of the great Piedmontese tradition in the art of winemaking and sparkling wine which therefore retains the strong identity that distinguishes the Asti sparkling wine. With one goal, to go beyond the traditional holiday toast to adapt to other moments of socialization, from the aperitif to the whole meal.
“Asti Secco – comments Romano Dogliotti, president of the ASTI Docg Consortium – completes the range of the Denomination, bringing to the world of dry sparkling wines something that was not there before: the unmistakable scent and aroma of Moscato bianco. In other words, the great white Moscato tree of Canelli, which gives birth to the ASTI spumante Dolce Docg and the Moscato d'Asti Docg, now offers one more fruit: the Asti Secco Docg”.
The sparkling-making technique – developed with the contribution of the research and analysis laboratory of the Consorzio di Tutela and the supervision of Professor Rocco Di Stefano, one of the leading experts in the wine sector – provides for particular conditions of fermentation of the must with selected yeasts. The result is unique and surprising, with a balanced and harmonious gustatory and olfactory picture.
Obviously an operation of this size has been meditated on for a long time. "Market research - explains Giorgio Bosticco, director of the Consortium - confirms that the new ASTI Secco has what it takes to enter a large and complex market, dealing with aggressive denominations and successful, with the aim of seducing new consumers, especially among the Millennials”.
And they are precisely the reference target of this operation. In fact, the Consortium has launched a strategic project for the repositioning of the entire Asti denomination, in Italy and abroad. At the basis of this work, the activities under the banner of the "rural glam" philosophy which, like Asti, blends the authenticity of a unique land with the charm of elegance, sensuality and seduction. The storytelling focuses precisely on the perfume, on the charm of the wine-growing landscapes of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato recognized as a Unesco world heritage site and on the concept of youthful and glamorous conviviality with a touch of sensuality.
Sixteen brands already on the market line up first at the starting line (Araldica Castelvero, Arione, Azienda Agricola Matteo Soria, Bosca, Bosio, Cantina Tre Secoli, Cascina Fonda, Cuvage, Duchessa Lia, Fontanafredda, Sant'Orsola, Tosti, Manfredi Aldo & C., Santero, Sarotto, Toso). Production to date is approximately 700 bottles, limited numbers for a gradual and continuous growth in the name of quality.
“From today to the first half of 2018 – continues the director Bosticco – we will have entertainment activities in the most important bars, restaurants and hotels in the production area, supported by a new national online and offline communication. In addition, Giorgio Bosticco anticipates, a surprise is planned for December 31st: a toast to the new year with Asti Secco and Asti Dolce, under the banner of great music”.
