Calosso is a rural comune

Comune

In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...

(municipality) in the Province of Asti

Province of Asti

The Province of Asti is a province in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Its capital is the city of Asti. To the north west it borders on the province of Turin; to the south west it borders on the province of Cuneo. To the east it borders on the province of Alessandria, while in the south it...

 in the Italian

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 region Piedmont

Piedmont

Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...

, located about 60 km southeast of Turin

Turin

Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...

 and about 20 km south of Asti

Asti

Asti is a city and comune of about 75,000 inhabitants located in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, about 55 kilometres east of Turin in the plain of the Tanaro River...

 in the hilly area between the Tanaro

Tanaro River

The Tanaro , known as Tanarus in ancient times, is a 276 km-long river in northwestern Italy. It rises in the Ligurian Alps, close to the border with France and is the most significant right-side tributary to the Po in terms of length, size of drainage basin and discharge.-Source:The Tanaro proper...

 and Belbo

Belbo

The Belbo is a river of southern Piedmont, Italy. It is a right-side tributary of the Tanaro.The Belbo rises in the Langhe, on the borders between Piedmont and Liguria in the hills of Montezemolo....

 and on the borders between Monferrato and Langa

Langhe

The Langhe is a hilly area to the south and east of the river Tanaro in the province of Cuneo in Piedmont, northern Italy....

. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,298 and an area of 15.7 km².

The comune borders the following municipalities: Agliano Terme

Agliano Terme

Agliano Terme is a comune in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 50 km southeast of Turin and about 12 km southeast of Asti...

, Canelli

Canelli

Canelli is a comune of 10,440 inhabitants in the Province of Asti in the Italian region of Piedmont....

, Castiglione Tinella

Castiglione Tinella

Castiglione Tinella is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 50 km southeast of Turin and about 60 km northeast of Cuneo.-External links:*...

, Costigliole d'Asti

Costigliole d'Asti

Costigliole d’Asti is a small Italian town in the Province of Asti, southern Piedmont. It lies about 13 km south of the city of Asti in the Alto Monferrato, on the edge of the Langhe, in the alluvial plain of the river Tanaro southwards into the hills....

, Moasca

Moasca

Moasca is a comune in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km southeast of Turin and about 15 km southeast of Asti...

, and Santo Stefano Belbo

Santo Stefano Belbo

Santo Stefano Belbo is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km southeast of Turin and about 60 km northeast of Cuneo....

.

The village itself, together with its castle, stands on a hill surrounded by the vineyards which represent its principal economic activity.

Viticulture

Around two thirds of the area of the commune, and by far the greatest part of its agricultural land is devoted to vineyards. Production is on a small scale: this 10 km² or so is divided between 380 farms and the total annual production of wine is around 4,900,000 litres.

The principal grape variety grown here is the Moscato Bianco, while others include Barbera

Barbera

Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy . It produces good yields and is known for deep color, low tannins and high levels of acid...

, Dolcetto

Dolcetto

Dolcetto is a black wine grape variety widely grown in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. The Italian word dolcetto means "little sweet one", but it is not certain that the name originally carried any reference to the grape’s sugar levels: it is possible that it derives from the name of the...

, Nebbiolo, Chardonnay

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...

 and Freisa

Freisa

Freisa is a red Italian wine grape variety grown in the Piedmont region of north-west Italy, primarily in Monferrato and in the Langhe, but also further north in the provinces of Turin and Biella. Freisa is a vigorous and productive vine whose round, blue-black grapes are harvested in early...

. Of particular interest is the cultivation of the now rare historical variety Gamba di Pernice (literally ‘Pheasant’s leg’).

External links

• www.comune.calosso.at.it/