Monferrato

The Monferrato appellation is located in the south-east of Italy's Piedmont region. Piedmont is the westernmost region of Italy. It borders France and Switzerland, and is bordered by the Alps and the Apennines. Although not Italy's leading wine-producing region, Piedmont is nevertheless considered a giant of Italian wine thanks to the quality of its products. Piedmont boasts the highest number of DOCG and DOC zones, with a total of 50. This makes Piedmont the region with the highest proportion of classified wines. Among these, the Italian DOC appellation was granted to the Monferrato terroir in 1994.

The appellation criteria authorize the use of grape varieties native to the region and a few from other origins for the production of red wines. Monferrato red wines may bear the name of the grape variety used, provided it accounts for more than 85% of the blend. For example, Barbera, Bonarda, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grignolino, Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo are all used in Monferrato red wines. White Monferrato wines may also include grape varieties not native to Piedmont, such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. Of particular note in this appellation are the Monferrato wines produced by the Scagliola brothers.