Piedmont is the second Italian region for the extent of its surface. It is the fourth Italian region for the number of exportations, with a percentage of the 10% on the total national amount. It offers an extraordinary heritage of history, culture, art and traditions, which is spread in the cities, towns, abbeys, castles and centuries-old fortifications.
The territory of the region can be divided into three concentric belts, surrounded by the eastern Alps and the Apennine of Liguria, while in the central part there is a hilly area and the remaining part is a flatland. From this kind of topographic configuration derives the name Piemonte that means at the foot of the mountains.
Piemonte is characterized by mythical places, like the Langhe, the Roero and the Monferrato, with their mild landscapes shaped by both man and nature, they are now considered UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITY
The main hilly areas are the CANAVESE (to the north-west), the LANGHE and the ROERO (to the south), the MONFERRATO (in the centre) and the TORTONESI hills (to the south-est).
The southern hills of the Langhe and Monferrato consist of ancient sediments not very resistant to the action of water that digs grooves and valleys. The well-exposed slopes are cultivated with grapevines, cereals and fodders but also orchards and hazelnut trees.
There are concentrated industries and rice fields on the flatland, of which the region is the first Italian producer.
Up the hills we may find fine wines producing vineyards. The city of Asti is world-renowned for the production of famous wines like the DOCG “Asti spumante” and the “Moscato d’Asti” guaranteed as one of the most important vitivinicole and gastronomic district of the world.
Not far from Asti, in the province of Cuneo, you come across the city of Alba and then, going south-west, the city of La Morra, both located in the centre of the Langhe and well-known for their truffles. Alba also distinguishes itself for being the seat of the important confectionery industry Ferrero, world-renowned for confectionery products, especially for Nutella.
GASTRONOMY
The gastronomy is focused on cheese, with a production of about 6.000.000 litres of milk and about 1.700.000 kilograms of cheese; followed by cured meats/cold cuts, honey and with great impact of wines.
Among the eno-gastronomic tours of Piemonte, we have the path of the cheeses in the province of Cuneo and the tour of the white truffle of Alba where the international white truffle of Alba fair is held every year, between October and November.
Not to forget the chocolate tour of Turin, where in 1867 Gianduia was invented, it was obtained by mixing cocoa, sugar and the famous hazelnuts from Piemonte, this discovery led to the production of Gianduiotti chocolates.
WINES AND WINES TRAILS
Piemonte is among the first Italian regions for the quantity of wine and, thanks to its 16 DOCGs and 42 DOCs, it surely is highest ranked for the quality factor.
The ancient and perseverant man’s effort, combined with a particularly prosperous nature, lands (especially in the areas of the Langhe and Monferrato), soil variety and texture, kind of climate (specifically suitable), have made possible the production of wines rightly considered the best in the whole peninsula.
Grapevine cultivation in Piemonte dates back to ancient times and it is marked on local vine varieties (with predominance of reds), among which the Nebbiolo stands out, and the Barolo, the Barbaresco, the Gattinara and the Ghemme grow out of it.
The Barolo and Langa Wines Trail was inaugurated in 2006 to celebrate the wine that first was able to compete with the great red French wines of Bordeaux.
A tour one must not miss is also the Wine of the Alto Monferrato Tour that unveils the cradles of the Moscato and the Brachetto amongst thick vineyards and through white gravel roads, which can be followed by mountain bike or on foot, a trip deep in the colours and flavours of the vineyard.
The Wine of Canavese Tour will allow you to discover an enchanted corner of untouched and wild nature, full of history and suggestions: through charming itineraries you can find many moraine lakes, green valleys and the certified vineyard area, just deep inside an atmosphere full of scents and colours. The three major wines are the Erbaluce, the Caremma and the Canavese.
In the end, the wine tour of Astesana and the recent wine tour of the Tortonesi hills allow you to meet the province of Asti, land of the Barbera and Grignolino, as well as many other excellent quality products, first of all the truffle.
