Alta Langa DOCG

Alta Langa lies in the hill belt of southern Piedmont on the right bank of the Tanaro river, and the consorzio counts 149 municipalities in the provinces of Asti, Alessandria and Cuneo in the zone. The disciplinare limits the zone to hillside parcels suited to vines, at an altitude of no less than 250 metres above sea level; valley floors and damp, flat land are excluded. The consorzio gives 440 metres as the average altitude of the vineyards, and its zone page names the Tanaro, Belbo, Bormida and Orba as the rivers that cross the territory, rising in the Apennines. The Consorzio Alta Langa reported 500 hectares of vineyard at the end of 2025, and said its 2026 harvest involved more than 280 estates on more than 500 hectares.

• Minimum vineyard altitude 250 metres, hillside sites only (disciplinare)
• Average vineyard altitude 440 metres, per the consorzio
• 149 municipalities across the provinces of Alessandria, Asti and Cuneo (consorzio)
• 500 hectares of vineyard at the end of 2025 (Consorzio Alta Langa)

The disciplinare's description of the zone says it favours areas of moderate sunshine with good day-night temperature swings and contained relative humidity, which normally correspond to a Huglin bioclimatic index of 1700 to 1800 in an altitude band of 280 to 550 metres. The rules require marly, calcareous-clay soils of moderate fertility. The consorzio explains that these soils formed from sediments laid down on the floor of the sea or lagoons of the Tertiary Piedmont Basin, which covered south-western Piedmont for 30 million years before withdrawing about 2.5 million years ago. Fine layers of silt and clay became the soft grey-blue rocks called marls, while sandy layers stayed as sands or, where compacted, became the sandstone known as Pietra di Langa. Richard Baudains, writing in Decanter in 2026, reports that many growers are using a changing climate to plant much higher, and that the Rivetti family planted Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for Alta Langa at 700 to 820 metres after acquiring Contratto in 2011.

• Moderate sunshine, good diurnal range and contained humidity; Huglin index 1700 to 1800 (disciplinare)
• Marly, calcareous-clay soils of moderate fertility required by the disciplinare
• Marine sediments of the Tertiary Piedmont Basin, per the consorzio
• Marls, sands and the sandstone known as Pietra di Langa

The disciplinare reserves Alta Langa for sparkling wines obtained only by second fermentation in bottle by the traditional or classic method, in two types, spumante and spumante rosato, each also as Riserva. Pinot Nero and/or Chardonnay must make up 90 to 100% of the vineyard composition, and the remaining 10% may come from non-aromatic varieties suitable for cultivation in Piedmont; the consorzio adds that the two main grapes may be vinified alone or together. The vintage year must appear on the label, and the elaboration period, counted from the start of bottle fermentation and including time on the lees, must be at least 30 months, or 36 months for Riserva. The disciplinare excludes the demi-sec, sec and dolce sweetness levels, and the consorzio describes the wines as brut, extra brut or pas dosé. At release both types need a minimum total alcohol of 11.50% vol and total acidity of at least 5.0 g/l. Labels may use 'metodo classico', 'metodo tradizionale' and the related permitted phrases, the bare phrase 'fermentazione in bottiglia' is banned, and the rosé may also be labelled 'rosa' or 'rosé'. The consorzio describes the white as straw yellow to deep gold, with aromas of white fruit and citrus and hints of bread crust, and the rosé as powder pink, with aromas ranging from grapefruit to spice. Vineyards need at least 4,000 vines per hectare, trained on low vertical trellis with traditional Guyot or spurred cordon pruning; forcing is banned and emergency irrigation is allowed. Grape yield is capped at 11 tonnes per hectare with a minimum natural alcohol of 9.50% vol, and the yield of grapes into finished wine at 65%, or 7,150 litres per hectare. Vinification, bottling, elaboration and ageing must take place in the Piedmont region. To improve a lot, up to 15% of a younger Alta Langa may be added to an older one, or the reverse. The disciplinare describes hand harvesting into small perforated crates that also carry the grapes to the pressing centres, followed by pneumatic pressing at varying intensities that separates different fractions of must.

• Pinot Nero and/or Chardonnay 90 to 100%; up to 10% of other non-aromatic varieties suitable for Piedmont
• At least 30 months from the start of bottle fermentation; 36 months for Riserva
• Vintage indication mandatory on every bottle
• Demi-sec, sec and dolce excluded; the consorzio lists brut, extra brut and pas dosé

The consorzio's history traces the first Italian metodo classico to 19th-century Piedmont. Carlo Gancia left for Reims in 1848 to learn how Champagne was made, started a small wine business at Chivasso with his brother Edoardo in 1850, later moved it to Canelli and, in 1865, developed the production of Italian spumante using the champenoise method. Decanter's Richard Baudains (2026) writes that Gancia produced "what is documented as Italy’s first traditional method sparkling wine". In the early 20th century Canelli became the centre of sparkling wine production, and its underground cellars, called the Cattedrali Sotterranee, were recognised in 2014 as part of Italy's 50th UNESCO World Heritage site, dedicated to wine culture. On 28 February 1990 seven Piedmontese sparkling wine houses, Cinzano, Contratto, Fontanafredda, Gancia, Martini & Rossi, Riccadonna and Vini Banfi, signed a joint commitment at Canelli to trial Pinot Nero and Chardonnay for sparkling wine, and the Progetto Spumante Metodo Classico in Piemonte was made official on 5 March 1990. The first experimental vineyards were planted in 1992 by 21 estates on about 20 hectares, and more than 48 hectares were in production by 1996. The name Alta Langa was chosen in 1998, and the first toast with the new wine took place at Bossolasco on 10 May 1999. The Consorzio Alta Langa was founded in Asti on 15 June 2001 with 48 members, 41 of them growers. A decree of 31 October 2002, published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale on 23 November 2002, created the DOC, which the consorzio calls the first in Piedmont dedicated only to metodo classico. A decree of 21 February 2011, published on 9 March 2011, raised it to DOCG, recognised back to the 2008 vintage. In 2025 the Regione Piemonte named Alta Langa DOCG its Vino dell'Anno.

• 1865: Carlo Gancia's Italian spumante by the champenoise method, at Canelli (consorzio)
• 1990: seven houses launch the Progetto Spumante Metodo Classico in Piemonte
• 15 June 2001: Consorzio Alta Langa founded in Asti
• DOC 2002; DOCG 2011, recognised back to the 2008 vintage

At the end of 2025 the Consorzio Alta Langa counted 179 members, growers and producing companies, with 500 hectares of vineyard. It put the 2025 harvest at a potential 3.5 million bottles eligible for the DOCG, and said 2025 sales rose 11.5% on the previous year, passing 2 million bottles bearing the state contrassegno. For 2026 the Regione Piemonte, on the consorzio's proposal, allowed 50 more hectares to join the Alta Langa vineyard. Richard Baudains, writing in Decanter in 2026, reported projections for the 2025 total of two million bottles to grow to five million by 2030. The seven sparkling wine houses among the consorzio's founding members in 2001 were Barbero 1891 (Enrico Serafino), Bersano & Riccadonna, Giulio Cocchi, Fontanafredda, F.lli Gancia, Martini & Rossi and Vini Banfi, and Baudains notes that many names from the Langhe red wine denominations and Moscato producers from Asti have added Alta Langa to their lists. The consorzio's website names Giovanni Minetti as its president in 2026.

• 179 consorzio members at the end of 2025
• 500 hectares of vineyard at the end of 2025; 50 more hectares allowed in 2026 (consorzio)
• 2025 sales above 2 million bottles, up 11.5% (consorzio)
• Decanter (2026): five million bottles projected by 2030

Primary sources (MASAF disciplinare and the Consorzio Alta Langa): https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252Fa%252Fe%252FD.8495fb8195fb9f88e44b/P/BLOB%3AID%3D4625/E/7z?mode=download, https://www.altalangadocg.com/alta-langa-docg/cose-lalta-langa-docg/, https://www.altalangadocg.com/alta-langa-docg/la-zona-produzione/, https://www.altalangadocg.com/consorzio-alta-langa/il-consorzio/, https://www.altalangadocg.com/consorzio-alta-langa/la-storia/, https://www.altalangadocg.com/alta-langa-docg-un-anno-da-protagonista-un-bilancio-delle-attivita-consortili-2025-e-il-calendario-2026/, https://www.altalangadocg.com/unottima-vendemmia-2026/, https://www.altalangadocg.com/bando-2026-per-lassegnazione-delle-idoneita-alta-langa-docg/. Secondary sources: https://www.decanter.com/wine/piedmont-wine-region/building-an-identity-for-alta-langa-piedmonts-revitalised-sparkling-wines/. Last verified 2026-09-25