Moscato d'Asti DOCG

The Asti single document published by the EU in 2024 records that in the 18th century a series of articles published in Lausanne referred to a Moscato Bianco of Piedmont, and that 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. The same document states that 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 that the fragrant, sparkling white wine was known in the trade as 'Moscato d'Asti' or 'Moscato di Canelli'. Italian Wine Central writes that Carlo Gancia made Italy's first traditional-method sparkling wine at Canelli in 1865, using the local Moscato grapes. According to the 2026 MASAF disciplinare, 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 an EU communication dated 10 September 2024 records that the Canelli sub-region was then deleted from the Asti specification.

• 18th century: articles published in Lausanne referred to a Moscato Bianco of Piedmont (EU Asti single document, 2024)
• 1865: Carlo Gancia made Italy's first traditional-method sparkling wine at Canelli from local Moscato grapes (Italian Wine Central)
• DOC by presidential decree of 9 July 1967; DOCG by ministerial decree of 29 November 1993 (2026 MASAF disciplinare)
• 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

Article 9 of the 2026 MASAF disciplinare states that the Asti DOCG area comprises 51 municipalities in the provinces of Alessandria, Asti, and Cuneo, in the zone known as Langhe-Roero and Monferrato. Article 4 allows only vineyards on hillsides of favourable position and exposure, preferably calcareous or calcareous-clay, and excludes vineyards on valley-floor or flat land. The disciplinare places the vineyards 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, it reports that 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 disciplinare describes the climate as continental. It also links areas to style: around Santo Stefano Belbo, Mango, and Castiglione Tinella in the west the wine is very intense in its aromas, of medium body and very fine, while from Canelli eastward, including Calosso and San Marzano Oliveto, the wines show a fuller body.

• 51 municipalities in Alessandria, Asti, and Cuneo provinces; hillside sites only, valley floors and flat land excluded (2026 MASAF disciplinare)
• Vineyards at 150 to 600 metres, 45% of them at 200 to 300 metres; 10% of the registered area on slopes over 40% (2026 MASAF disciplinare)
• Serravallian sandstone in the centre-west and Marne di Sant'Agata in the east (2026 MASAF disciplinare)
• Two sub-zones remain in the 2026 text, Santa Vittoria d'Alba and Strevi; Canelli left the Asti DOCG to become its own PDO in 2023

Decanter's James Button explains that Moscato is the Italian term for Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains. The 2026 MASAF disciplinare requires vineyards of at least 97% Moscato bianco, with the remaining 3% from aromatic white varieties suited to cultivation in Piedmont. Italian Wine Central states that Moscato d'Asti is fermented in pressurized tanks or autoclaves (Martinotti method). Decanter's Button describes Italian Moscato being chilled down before fermentation is complete, which leaves an abundance of sugar and, with fermentation halted, a low ABV (generally around 5 to 5.5%). The disciplinare allows refrigeration to 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. It requires actual alcohol between 4.50% and 6.50% vol and at least 11.00% vol total alcohol, and allows carbon dioxide only from fermentation, at an overpressure of no more than 2.5 bar at 20 degrees Celsius. Italian Wine Central puts minimum residual sugar at approximately 80 g/l. Paolo Saracco's own site describes the must being 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 (2026 MASAF disciplinare)
• Tank or autoclave fermentation, the Martinotti method (Italian Wine Central)
• 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 (2026 MASAF disciplinare)
• Residual sugar minimum approximately 80 g/l (Italian Wine Central)

Paolo Saracco's own site states that the Saracco family has made Moscato at Castiglione Tinella since the early 1900s, and that founder Luigi Saracco sold bulk wine in spring to companies producing Vermouth. The site places Paolo Saracco, Giovanni's son and current owner, in its period from 1988, when he decided to start bottling Moscato after studying oenology, and describes 50 hectares of land at Castiglione Tinella. Its Moscato d'Asti comes from vineyards in Castiglione Tinella, Santo Stefano Belbo, Castagnole Lanze, and Calosso. Michele Chiarlo, whose winery is in Calamandrana, describes its Moscato d'Asti Nivole as fermented slowly in an autoclave to 5% alcohol, micro-filtered before bottling, and sold in 0.375 l and 0.75 l bottles under a Stelvin closure. Under the 2026 MASAF disciplinare, Asti DOCG labels carry a collective mark distributed exclusively by the Consorzio di tutela, and Italian Wine Central reports that 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 (Paolo Saracco website)
• Saracco vineyards in Castiglione Tinella, Santo Stefano Belbo, Castagnole Lanze, and Calosso (Paolo Saracco website)
• Michele Chiarlo Nivole: autoclave fermentation to 5% alcohol, 0.375 l and 0.75 l bottles (Michele Chiarlo website)
• A collective mark distributed exclusively by the Consorzio di tutela appears on every Asti DOCG type (2026 MASAF disciplinare)

Article 1 of the 2026 MASAF disciplinare lists Moscato d'Asti and Moscato d'Asti vendemmia tardiva among the 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 (2026 MASAF disciplinare)
• 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 (2026 MASAF disciplinare)
• Vintage required on the label; mushroom cork with cage and crown cap prohibited (2026 MASAF disciplinare)
• 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 (2026 MASAF disciplinare)

The 2026 MASAF disciplinare keeps two sub-zones, Santa Vittoria d'Alba and Strevi, each governed by its own annex. Per the EU single document for Asti published in 2024, 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. The same 2024 document sets 9,500 kilograms of grapes per hectare for Moscato d'Asti Strevi and Santa Vittoria d'Alba and a minimum total alcohol of 12.00% for both. 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. Italian Wine Central reports that 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 in the 2026 disciplinare.

• Sub-zones: Santa Vittoria d'Alba and Strevi (2026 MASAF disciplinare)
• Moscato d'Asti Strevi and Santa Vittoria d'Alba: 9,500 kg/ha and 12.00% minimum total alcohol (EU single document, 2024)
• 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 (Italian Wine Central)

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 2026-09-25