Moscato d'Asti DOCG

In the 18th century a series of articles published in Lausanne referred to a Moscato Bianco of Piedmont, and at the end of that century the Società di Agricoltura di Torino named Moscato as one of the Piedmont varieties most likely to produce highly prized wines. At the end of the nineteenth century, significant amounts of sparkling wine began to be made from Moscato grapes by re-fermenting the base wine in the bottle, and the fragrant, sparkling white wine was known in the trade as 'Moscato d'Asti' or 'Moscato di Canelli'. Carlo Gancia made Italy's first traditional-method sparkling wine at Canelli in 1865, using the local Moscato grapes. Asti was recognised as a DOC by the presidential decree of 9 July 1967 and as a DOCG by the ministerial decree of 29 November 1993. EU Implementing Regulation 2023/1327 of 23 June 2023 protected the name Canelli as a PDO, and a standard amendment to the Asti specification, communicated on 10 September 2024, then deleted the Canelli sub-region.

• 18th century: articles published in Lausanne referred to a Moscato Bianco of Piedmont
• 1865: Carlo Gancia made Italy's first traditional-method sparkling wine at Canelli from local Moscato grapes
• DOC by presidential decree of 9 July 1967; DOCG by ministerial decree of 29 November 1993
• 23 June 2023: Canelli protected as a PDO under EU Implementing Regulation 2023/1327; the Canelli sub-region was deleted from Asti by a standard amendment communicated on 10 September 2024

The Asti DOCG area comprises 51 municipalities in the provinces of Alessandria, Asti, and Cuneo, in the zone known as Langhe-Roero and Monferrato. Only vineyards on hillsides of favourable position and exposure, preferably calcareous or calcareous-clay, qualify; vineyards on valley-floor or flat land are excluded. Vineyards lie between 150 and 600 metres, with 45% between 200 and 300 metres, 30% between 300 and 400 metres, and 17% above 400 metres. Of the more than 10,000 hectares registered to the denomination, 25% have slopes over 30% (17 degrees), 10% over 40% (22 degrees), and 4% over 50% (27 degrees). In the centre-west, on the Cassinasco formation dating to the Serravallian (13 to 11 million years ago), sandstone predominates, with sandy-loam soils; the eastern zone sits on the Marne di Sant'Agata, formed 10 to 5 million years ago, with compact silty-loam soils. The climate is continental. Location shapes style: around Santo Stefano Belbo, Mango, and Castiglione Tinella in the west the wine tends to be very intense in its aromas, of medium body and very fine, while from Canelli eastward, including Calosso and San Marzano Oliveto, the wines tend toward a fuller body.

• 51 municipalities in Alessandria, Asti, and Cuneo provinces; hillside sites only, valley floors and flat land excluded
• Vineyards at 150 to 600 metres, 45% of them at 200 to 300 metres; 10% of the registered area on slopes over 40%
• Serravallian sandstone in the centre-west and Marne di Sant'Agata in the east
• Two sub-zones remain, Santa Vittoria d'Alba and Strevi; Canelli left the Asti DOCG to become its own PDO in 2023

Moscato is the Italian term for Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains. Vineyards must be at least 97% Moscato bianco, with the remaining 3% from aromatic white varieties suited to cultivation in Piedmont. Moscato d'Asti is fermented in pressurized tanks or autoclaves (Martinotti method). The wine is chilled down before fermentation is complete, which leaves an abundance of sugar and, with fermentation halted, a low alcohol level, generally around 5 to 5.5%. Refrigeration may be used to conduct fermentations across the whole year to reach the minimum actual alcohol while keeping the balance between actual alcohol and residual sugar. Actual alcohol must fall between 4.50% and 6.50% vol, with at least 11.00% vol total alcohol, and carbon dioxide may come only from fermentation, at an overpressure of no more than 2.5 bar at 20 degrees Celsius. Minimum residual sugar is approximately 80 g/l. At Paolo Saracco, the must is held in stainless steel at -3 degrees Celsius for months, then moved to autoclaves for temperature-controlled fermentation when there is market demand, and microfiltered before bottling.

• At least 97% Moscato bianco, up to 3% other aromatic white varieties suited to Piedmont
• Tank or autoclave fermentation, the Martinotti method
• Actual alcohol 4.50% to 6.50% vol, total alcohol at least 11.00% vol, overpressure no more than 2.5 bar at 20 degrees Celsius
• Residual sugar minimum approximately 80 g/l

The Saracco family has made Moscato at Castiglione Tinella since the early 1900s, and founder Luigi Saracco sold bulk wine in spring to companies producing Vermouth. In the period from 1988, Paolo Saracco, Giovanni's son and current owner, decided to start bottling Moscato after studying oenology, and the Paolo Saracco label was born; the family's story began at Castiglione Tinella on 50 hectares of land. Its Moscato d'Asti comes from vineyards in Castiglione Tinella, Santo Stefano Belbo, Castagnole Lanze, and Calosso. Michele Chiarlo, whose winery is in Calamandrana, ferments its Moscato d'Asti Nivole slowly in an autoclave to 5% alcohol, micro-filters it before bottling, and sells it in 0.375 l and 0.75 l bottles under a Stelvin closure. Every Asti DOCG type carries a collective mark distributed exclusively by the Consorzio di tutela, and Canelli DOCG remains under the wing of the Asti consorzio.

• Saracco family making Moscato at Castiglione Tinella since the early 1900s; Paolo Saracco began bottling under his own label
• Saracco vineyards in Castiglione Tinella, Santo Stefano Belbo, Castagnole Lanze, and Calosso
• Michele Chiarlo Nivole: autoclave fermentation to 5% alcohol, 0.375 l and 0.75 l bottles
• A collective mark distributed exclusively by the Consorzio di tutela appears on every Asti DOCG type

Moscato d'Asti and Moscato d'Asti vendemmia tardiva are types of the Asti DOCG, alongside Asti or Asti spumante, Asti metodo classico, and their rosato versions. Grapes for Moscato d'Asti must reach a natural minimum alcohol of 10.00% vol, or 9.50% vol in years the Regione Piemonte declares climatically unfavourable. Maximum yield is 10 tonnes of grapes per hectare, with a grape-to-wine yield of 75%, and new or replanted vineyards need at least 4,000 vines per hectare. Winemaking operations from must preparation to bottling must take place in the provinces of Alessandria, Asti, and Cuneo or in the Pessione frazione of Chieri (TO), and bottling must take place in the delimited area. Enrichment of Moscato d'Asti is allowed only with concentrated Moscato bianco must produced in Piedmont, rectified concentrated must, or other permitted practices. The vintage must appear on the label, and the mushroom cork with wire cage and the crown cap are both prohibited. The Vendemmia Tardiva type is late-harvested, may be dried after picking, is capped at 6 tonnes per hectare, needs a natural minimum of 12.00% vol, may not be enriched, and must be aged at least one year; at release it needs 14.00% total alcohol, at least 11.00% vol of it actual. By comparison, Asti or Asti spumante needs at least 6.00% vol actual alcohol and a total of 11.50% vol.

• Natural minimum alcohol 10.00% vol (9.50% vol in declared unfavourable years); yield 10 t/ha and 75% grape to wine; at least 4,000 vines per hectare for new plantings
• Actual alcohol 4.50% to 6.50% vol and overpressure no more than 2.5 bar, against at least 6.00% vol actual for Asti spumante
• Vintage required on the label; mushroom cork with cage and crown cap prohibited
• Vendemmia Tardiva: 6 t/ha, natural minimum 12.00% vol, no enrichment, at least one year of ageing, 14.00% total and at least 11.00% vol actual alcohol

Two sub-zones remain, Santa Vittoria d'Alba and Strevi, each governed by its own annex to the production rules. The Santa Vittoria d'Alba sub-region is the single municipality of Santa Vittoria d'Alba in Cuneo province, and the Strevi sub-region covers whole municipalities in Alessandria province, including Acqui Terme, Cassine, and Strevi. Moscato d'Asti Strevi and Moscato d'Asti Santa Vittoria d'Alba are allowed 9,500 kilograms of grapes per hectare and both need a minimum total alcohol of 12.00%. Canelli was a sub-region of Asti until it was registered as a PDO in its own right under EU Implementing Regulation 2023/1327 of 23 June 2023. Canelli DOCG, Piedmont's 19th and Italy's 77th DOCG, produces only the sweet frizzante Moscato d'Asti style from 100% Moscato Bianco and adds a Riserva aged at least 30 months, including 20 months in bottle. The commune of Canelli still appears in the Asti DOCG production zone.

• Sub-zones: Santa Vittoria d'Alba and Strevi
• Moscato d'Asti Strevi and Santa Vittoria d'Alba: 9,500 kg/ha and 12.00% minimum total alcohol
• Canelli: PDO under EU Implementing Regulation 2023/1327 of 23 June 2023; sub-region deleted from Asti in 2024
• Canelli DOCG: frizzante Moscato d'Asti style only, 100% Moscato Bianco, Riserva at least 30 months

Primary sources (MASAF, the EU register, and producer websites): https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252F8%252F6%252FD.78fdbd09a0007a2699ad/P/BLOB%3AID%3D24256/E/pdf?mode=download, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32023R1327, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:C_202407280, https://paolosaracco.it/en/wines-saracco-piedmont/moscato-d-asti-docg-saracco, https://paolosaracco.it/en/winery, https://www.michelechiarlo.it/en/wines/moscato-dasti-docg-nivole/. Secondary sources: https://italianwinecentral.com/denomination/asti-docg/, https://italianwinecentral.com/canelli-docg-spins-off-from-asti-docg/, https://www.decanter.com/learn/difference-muscat-moscatel-moscato-463852/. Last verified 2026-10-05