Piedmont

Definition - What does Piedmont mean?

Piedmont is a wine region found in northern Italy bordering Switzerland and France. Its climate is highly influenced by the Alps in the north, the Valle d'Aosta to the east and the Apennines in the south. Piedmont is widely known for its collector wines of Barolo and Barbaresco and the sparkling wine of Asti spumante. It is home to 42 Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) and 17 Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) sub-regions.


WineFrog explains Piedmont

Because of its northern location in Italy, Peidmont is a special region whose wine cultivation culture is widely influenced due to its terrain. It is so mountainous that only 30% of the region is suitable for planting vineyards. In the region of the Po Valley, the mountains contribute to fog cover which helps in the ripening of the local Nebbiolo grape which is used to make the robust red wines of Barbaresco and Barolo wines. Barbera is another red grape varietal grown here. It is also an ideal region for growing the white grapes; Moscato, Cortese and Gavi.

Piedmont is the leader of Italy for producing more DOCG wines than any other region. In fact, the region is home to 84% of the all the DOCG-designated areas in the country. Here are some well-known DOCG areas:

  • Asti
  • Barbaresco
  • Barolo
  • Cortese di Gavi
  • Dolcetto di Dogliani Superiore
  • Dolcetto di Ovado Superiore
  • Castagnole Monferrato