Design your wine tours with our experts

Explore the Best Wineries in Monferrato

Just getting started on your wine journey, or jumping back in?
Taste through a selection of a great local wines.

Monferrato is one of Italy's most notable wine districts and one of the world's most well-known Italian wine areas, particularly for red and sparkling wines. The diverse but excellent environment of the region creates a wine that is not only an element of the economic wealth of the entire region but also a distinctive feature of the Monferrato culture. We are delighted to share with you one of Italy's most beloved areas, which never ceases to amaze: here you can sample authentic Piedmontese cuisine, sample the best wines, and appreciate the hills covered with vineyards, beneath which lovely villages and castles are buried.

Monferrato

Check out the best wine tastings and tours in Monferrato!


Where is the Monferrato Wine Region?

Monferrato is a wine region in Northern Italy that is south of the Piedmont region. The region's name literally means "at the foot of the mountains," because the tallest Alpine peaks are located on Piedmont's land, which is encircled on three sides by the Alps mountain group.

Monferrato wine appellation is 300,000 hectares of nature with picturesque hills and vineyards; it is divided into three parts by the Tanaro River: Lower Monferrato (Basso Monferrato), Astigiano (hills around the city of Asti), and Upper Monferrato (Alto Monferrato). 

The History of Monferrato Wine Region

Winemaking on the lands of Monferrato existed at least a thousand years before the formation of the marquisate in the region. The Roman author Strabo wrote about the wines to the south of the Via Emilia road. They were also produced in the Aqui area, which is the most important center of modern Monferrato winemaking.

The importance of winemaking began to grow in the Middle Ages, when the culture of vineyard cultivation and wine production spread thanks to the monks. In the middle of the VIII century, the Abbey of Vezzolano was the first hearth from where winemaking spread throughout Monferrato. Already at that time, the monks operated with such concepts as harvest from a separate vineyard, vino puro, i.e. pure, undiluted wine, and first-pressed wort as the highest quality wort.

DOC Monferrato controlled wine zone was established in 1994. It starts from the right bank of the Po River and reaches the borders with Liguria, partially covering the provinces of Asti and Alessandria. 

Unique Terroir of Monferrato Appellation

The landscape of Monferrato is dominated by vast, undulating hills. They offer a bewildering array of aspect and sun exposure; slope; and soil type combinations. Almost the entire wine zone is built on hills. Monferrato soils are of old marine origin and typically consist of clay, sand, and limestone. The climate is mild, with little rain. In 2014, the area of vineyards registered in the zone was around 1100 hectares.

Given this, it's no coincidence that Monferrato's wine-making regulations allow for the use of so many grape varieties and mixes in comparison to the rest of Italian terroir.

Monferrato 2

What is Monferrato Wine?

The Monferrato grapes are notable for its diversity, with wines made from Barbera, Grignolino, Ruche’ Malvasia, Freisa, Albarossa, Cortese, Brachetto, and Dolcetto. Here, Nebbiolo accounts for barely 6% of Piedmontese vineyards.

The most well-known Monferrato wines include Asti Spumante, Moscato d'Asti, Cortese, Malvasia, Moscato, Barbera, Brachetto, and Grignolino, owing to the wide distribution of indigenous grapes and a diversified range of wines.

Red wines made from native Piedmont grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, and even Pinot Noir can be made.

Cortese is the most often used white variety in white wines, along with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The region also produces DOCG Barbera del Monferrato Superiore, which requires six months in barrel and 14 months of maturation.

 Interesting Facts about Monferrato

Monferrato wine region is also known for its unusual infernal tunnels, which are underground rooms without light carved by hand in sandy rock or tuff. Constant temperature and humidity provided optimum storage conditions for wines and food.

Locals dug basements beneath their homes in soft and malleable stones with a shovel and a hoe, with no consideration for urban architecture or engineering. As a result, some Piedmontese cities were discovered to be infested with underground honeycombs, which are divided by chambers and diverge by galleries and are sometimes small, often meter-long tunnels that lead into the bowels of the earth.

Infernot you can visit Camagna Monferrato, Vignale Monferrato, Calais Monte, Olivola, and Frassinello Monferrato.

Food to Pair with Monferrato Wine

Castello di Uviglie

Uviglie Castle is an ancient bastion of Piedmont, built in the thirteenth century, located in Rosignano Monferrato, in the province of Alessandria. In recent years, it has been acquired by a private company that uses it for events, conferences and cultural initiatives.

A walk through the centuries-old Castello di Uviglie garden, designed in the English style, with its unique exotic plants, as well as a visit to the castle's stylish chambers, will leave you astonished. There is also a wine cellar where you can sample the true inferno wines of the castle's winery.

Travel to Castello di Gabbiano

Another amazing place in Monferrato is the Castello di Gabiano. It is one of the oldest and largest castles in Monferrato with more than a thousand years of history. Located in a dominant position in the valley of the Po River, the Castle of Gabbiano is mentioned by sources as early as the eighth century.

The village of Gabbiano is famous for the production of high-quality wines of the DOC and DOCG categories of Italy

Castello di Gabiano is the perfect place to enjoy antiquity and immerse yourself in the fascinating world of wine.

Check out the best wineries in Monferrato!

Frequently Asked Questions about Monferrato Wine Region

Where is Monferrato?

Monferrato is a vast area located in the heart of Piedmont, between Asti and Alessandria. It produces one of the best wines from the red varieties of Barbera, Dolcetto, Grignolino and white varieties Cortese, Muscat.

What is Monferrato wine?

Monferrato produces red, rose, and white wines. 
White wines: Bianco, Cortese from subzone Casalese only (min 85% Cortese)
Rosato wines: Chiaretto or Ciaret (min 85% Barbera, Bonarda, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Dolcetto, Freisa, Grignolino, Nebbiolo, and/or Pinot Nero)
Red wines are produced on the basis of Barbera, Bonard, Dolcetto, Freiza, Grignolino, Nebbiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Nero varieties.

What is Monferrato Rosso?

Monferrato Rosso DOC is a dry red wine, in the production of which winemakers use grapes of the Grignolino and Barbera varieties, growing on limestone-sandy soils of Monferrato. Harvesting is carried out manually, at the winery the fruits are pressed by a vertical hydraulic press followed by fermentation in steel tanks. The wine is aged in oak barrels and in stainless steel tanks. 

Map of Wineries in Monferrato

Discover the locations of wineries in Monferrato

Explore the Best
Experiences in Monferrato

Just getting started on your wine journey, or jumping back in?
Taste through a selection of a great local wines.

Wineries in Monferrato