Asti
Asti, the land of good wines
The town’s name is inextricably linked with Asti Spumante DOCG, but these lands also possess other delights, not all of them culinary. Amidst legends, feasts and traditions, Asti is a territory waiting to be discovered.
An age-old history
Wandering through narrow streets, admiring the buildings of different periods, observing the façades of the cathedrals, you come to realize that Asti is a town with secrets waiting to be discovered, which revels in its glorious past.
With its towers, churches and baroque palaces, Asti shows off a backdrop where a long history has been played out. The first settlements date back to Roman times, when the first villages prospered thanks to old Greek vineyards located nearby. A period followed in which the population declined and the winemaking trade was abandoned, until the influence of the Church’s authority revived cultivation and with it the entire local economy. This was during the Middle Ages, when a profusion of abbeys and castles which were built here.
Asti was a sizeable trading centre during feudal times, when the importance of the wine trade for the local economy was again beginning to tell. Its vineyards gradually gained in reputation over the centuries until the town became the hometown of Asti Spumante DOCG, which is the most well-known and most widely exported Italian Spumante variety in the world.
Wine played a big part in the fortunes of these lands, so much so that nowadays you may find many museums dedicated to wine-making and the grape harvest. In the Palazzo Gastaldi, home of the Asti Spumante Consortium, you can enjoy an exhibition which teaches us literally how the sparkle is put into this Muscat wine, with old press articles and photographs of the Consoritum.
In Asti’s medieval castle you will find the fascinating “Museo arti e mestieri di un tempo” (Museum of Art and Trades of Yesteryear), in whose rooms have been recreated stores and surroundings reminiscent of peasant life. Thousands of objects from bygone years furnish the stores of the baker, printer and knife-grinder. There is also a section dedicated to the various tools and equipment (wine presses, vats and casks) necessary for winemaking; you’ll find it in the castle’s wine cellars, of course.
Another engrossing site is the “Versano Museum of farming and ancient wine presses”, in which you can, at no cost, observe the vineyard and wine cellar instruments including farming contraptions, ploughs and threshing machines as well as old presses, labels and menus.
Secular traditions
The province is teeming with history, art and traditions, evident in it Romanesque churches, medieval castles, Baroque palaces and Renaissance gardens. Besides boundless artistic heritage and ancient traditions, there are countless events held to mark the past throughout the calendar, such as the Assedio dei Cannelli which remembers the War of the Mantuan Succession in Monferrat, the Festival delle Sagre, a grandiose fresco of country life and the Truffle Festival in honour of one of the region’s classic products. The pick of the bunch is the oldest bareback horse race in Italy, the Corsa del Palio.
The story behind the ancient Palio D’Asti begins in 1275, in which competitors contend the first place to win the Palio Drape. Second and third-placed participants settle for a money bag and horse spurs respectively. Fourth place earns a live hen, whilst the booby prize for last place is an anchovy or “inchioda”!. The events surrounding the race were extremely turbulent and often becomes lost in legend.
Gourmet food and wine
Local wines are highly prized in all corners of the world. Vineyards change, like the surroundings, from hill to hill, revelling in a variety of flavours and scenery. Besides Asti Spumante, the Muscat wine with a straw-coloured tint and delicate aroma, other notable wines include Barbera D’Asti, Cortese dell’Alto Monferrato, Dolcetto D’Alba and Dolcetta D’Asti, Freisa D’Asti and many more besides. The dining table also offers delightful main courses.
In fact, to get to know Asti and its province you should start with its tastiest recipes. White truffle features most prominently in local dishes. It is a highly expensive and highly fragrant mushroom which is the pride and joy of each chef throughout the world, with the power to add sparkling flavour to nearly all Piedmontese dishes.
Amongst the most noted Astigian dishes is tajarin gialli (tajarin being the Piedmontese version of tagliatelle), ravioli, boiled meat, finanziera (featuring giblets, a typical rustic meal), fritto misto or mixed fry up, salami, cheese and hazelnut desserts. In fact, hazelnuts have special importance to this area: they are actually made in the province of Asti, the unique “Tonda e Gentile” (round and noble) Piedmont variety is one of the main ingredients in Nutella!
Lose yourself in nature
Wandering through the vineyards which blanket the rolling Astigian hills surely adds up to a unique experience. Murmuring brooks wind their way towards the valleys and accompany the gaze as it becomes lost in the horizon, beyond vast vineyards with a thousand perfumes and just as many colours.
Gentle strolls or intensive hikes, horseback riding or mountain bike tours are only some of the outdoor activities possible in Asti. Besides rural surrounds there are plentiful facilities suitable for all variety of sports. In fact, only the wealth of choice will hold you back.
