In Piedmont Viticulture occupies a fundamental position in the agricultural sector of the region. In 2009 the production was over 2,858,000 hl of wine, with a clear prevalence of Red winestradition already appreciated in the times of Roman and with consolidated roots in Langhe, In the Monferrato and in the Asti area. In Piedmont the vineyards are almost all in the hills, a guarantee of quality and prestige; The climate, the land, the vines and the competent and passionate intervention of man, do the rest. The most common vines are the Barbera, which covers 1/3 of the cultivated surface, widespread in different areas, in which it expresses its character differently. Always equipped with excellent acidity, in the Alba area it gives more structured wines and with good predisposition to the refinement, in Monferrato and in the freshest and fruitful Asti area.
Other important vines are the Moscato Bianco, The cupboard, defined as the wine of Piedmont, the courteous, with a delicate structure and perfumes of fruit and white flowers, the Freisa, with shades of flowers and small red fruits, the bracket, Fresh and aromatic, and the Grignolino, from which pleasant but not very structured wines are obtained.
The Prince of the Piedmontese vines is however the Nebbiolo, with very dense and small berries, with a dark blue color, very sensitive to the minimum differences of land and climate, father of the greatest Piedmontese reds. Barolo And Barbaresco stand out on everyone, but also Gattinara, Ghemme And Roero, beyond Boca, Fara, Lessona, Bramaterra and others, know how to express their excellent personality. The Barolo, king of the wines and wine of the kings, linked to ancient traditions, today is at the center of a sort of philosophical dualism among those who continue to produce it in an absolutely traditional way, with the aging in large barrels, and those which prefer a passage in smaller barrels, to soften the decisive and austere tanninity more quickly.
Among the white berry vines, about half of the reds, the white Moscato excels, from which theAsti Spumante and the Moscato d'Asti; Of the first, in 2002 over 80 million bottles were produced, a third of all national spumantistic production and about half of those VQPRDs of the region, most of them sold on foreign markets where they find the maximum admirers. In recent years, in the Langhe - for centuries unchallenged kingdom only of large reds - some international vines with a white berry, above all Chardonnay, an important space with high -level products are being cut out, such as with the Alta Langa Doc. In addition to the production of sparkling wines of all types, obtained with the reformation in the bottle and autoclave, dry and desserts, Piedmont is also reported for that of flavored wines, such as Vermouth and Barolo Chinato.
