Bring Italian Wine Vibes to Your Holiday Table

Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti rank among the most renowned and beloved wines of Italy’s Piedmont region. Thanks to their low ABV (respectively 5% and 7%), they are easy-drinking and food-friendly, making them a perfect choice for the holiday season.

Being wines that do not need years to age, Asti DOCG wines were the first wines that producers and farmers could enjoy straight after their harvests. This tradition passed down from generation to generation, and today, these wines are part of the ritual of a typical Italian toast.

The delicate flavor of Asti DOCG wines perfectly complements holiday sweets, especially rich cakes or desserts with fruits and nuts. Both Spumante and Moscato d’Asti also pair beautifully with cheese, nuts, and cured meats, making them ideal matches for holiday charcuterie boards. And many people don’t realize that these wine also complement fish, oysters, pork, and poultry.

The Asti DOCG designation originates with the Moscato Bianco varietal, cultivated in 51 townships in the provinces of Asti, Alessandria, and Cuneo. The inimitable aromatic profile is shared by two designation wines: Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti. There are over 3,000 Asti DOCG producers, which include local wineries that are keepers of stories, philosophies, and rare production secrets. This is the magic that exists behind each bottle of Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti.

Asti Spumante DOCGThe aromatic Spumante made Moscato a household name word worldwide. A feather in the cap of Italian oenology, Asti Spumante exemplifies the terroir of the Piedmont region. The color is an elegant straw to golden yellow, and the bubbles are tiny and persistent, able to penetrate the nose and palate with sweet intensity. Asti Spumante, like the grapes it’s made from, has a fresh aroma, redolent of flowers and ripe fruit, such as wisteria, orange, bergamot, and lemon.

Processing of Asti Spumante involves refrigeration of the grape juice at zero degrees until the second fermentation. This can be accomplished either using to the “Martinotti” method, in large, pressurized tanks, or using to the “Metodo classico”, with the second fermentation occurring in the bottle.

Moscato D’Asti DOCGItaly’s best-known sweet wine, Moscato D’Asti is one of the most characteristic products of Piedmont’s wine tradition. This wine is a tribute to tradition that, over time, has reached extraordinary levels of quality.

Moscato D’Asti is known for its unforgettable aroma, balance, natural sweetness, and low alcohol content. Its bouquet is rich and intense with layers of wisteria, orange, and honey, an undertone of spice, and notes of elderberry, yarrow, and bergamot.

In terms of production, this wine differs from Asti Spumante because its fermentation is halted when the alcohol content reaches about 5% by volume, with a lower pressure that makes it a uniquely vibrant sparkling wine.

Asti Mix Owing to their versatility and vibrancy, Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti, have also made a name for themselves in the cocktail realm. Both wines work well in sparkling cocktails that are a must during the holidays, like the Asti Signature, which combines a base of Asti Spumante Dolce with 4 basil leaves and the slice of grapefruit. Stir well and add ice, then top with more Asti Spumante Dolce, a curl of grapefruit peel and a sprinkle of Szechuan pepper. This makes the perfect holiday aperitivo.

Click here to discover more about the producers of Asti DOCG.