Costigliole d’Asti is a small 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...

 town 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...

, southern 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...

. It lies about 13 km south of the city 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 Alto Monferrato, on the edge of the Langhe

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....

, in the alluvial plain of the river Tanaro southwards into the hills. . The name derives from the Latin Corte Costeliolae.

The neighbouring communes are 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...

, Antignano

Antignano

Antignano is a comune in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 40 km southeast of Turin and about 8 km southwest of Asti...

, Calosso

Calosso

Calosso is a rural comune in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km southeast of Turin and about 20 km south of Asti in the hilly area between the Tanaro and Belbo and on the borders between Monferrato and Langa...

, Castagnole delle Lanze

Castagnole delle Lanze

Castagnole delle Lanze is a comune in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 50 km southeast of Turin and about 15 km south of Asti...

, Isola d’Asti, Montegrosso d’Asti, and San Martino Alfieri

San Martino Alfieri

San Martino Alfieri is a comune in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 45 km southeast of Turin and about 11 km southwest of Asti....

 (in the Province of Asti); and 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:*...

 and Govone

Govone

Govone is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 45 km southeast of Turin and about 60 km northeast of Cuneo...

 (in the Province of Cuneo

Province of Cuneo

ayr is a province in the southwest of the Piedmont region of Italy. To the west it borders on the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur ....

).

Wine

Costigliole d’Asti is particularly known for its viticulture

Viticulture

Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...

. Its vineyards, which cover an area of more than 11.75 km², are the most extensive of any Piedmontese commune.

Red wines

The main grape varieties grown are 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...

, Grignolino

Grignolino

Grignolino is a red Italian wine grape variety commonly grown in the Piedmont region. It makes light colored wines and rosés with very fruity aromas, strong acidity and tannins. The name Grignolino derives from the word grignole which means "many pips" in the local Piedmontese dialect of the Asti...

, 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...

 and Brachetto

Brachetto

Brachetto is a red Italian wine grape variety grown predominantly in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. At one time the grape was thought to be related to the French wine grape Braquet, but recent thought among ampelographers is that the two are distinct varieties...

. The Denominazione di Origine Controllata

Denominazione di Origine Controllata

Denominazione di origine controllata is a quality assurance label for food products, especially wines and various formaggi . It is modelled after the French AOC...

 (DOC) wines produced from these are:

• Barbera d'Asti
  Barbera d'Asti
  Barbera d'Asti is an Italian red wine made from the Barbera grape variety. It is produced in the hilly areas of the provinces of Asti and Alexandria...
  
  
• Barbera del Monferrato
• Piemonte Barbera
• Monferrato Dolcetto
• Freisa d'Asti
• Grignolino d'Asti
• Piemonte Brachetto

White wines

The Moscato Bianco grape is grown for the production of three Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) or DOC wines:

• Moscato d'Asti
  Moscato d'Asti
  Moscato d'Asti is a "Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita" sparkling white wine produced mainly in the province of Asti, north-west Italy, and in smaller nearby regions in the provinces of Alessandria and Cuneo. The wine is sweet and low in alcohol, and often enjoyed with dessert. ...
  
   DOCG
• Asti DOCG
• Piemonte Moscato passito DOC

The Cortese

Cortese

Cortese is a white Italian wine grape variety predominantly grown in the southeastern regions of Piedmont in the provinces of Alessandria and Asti. It is the primary grape of the Denominazione di origine controllata wines of Cortese dell'Alto Monferrato and Colli Tortonesi as well as the...

 and 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...

 varieties are used for two DOC wines:

• Piemonte Cortese
• Piemonte Chardonnay

External links

• Official website