Wine and food in the Monferrato
In the Monferrato, wine is not just a product: it has shaped the landscape, the architecture of the houses and the calendar of the villages. Living here means wineries minutes from home, fairs and festivals all year round, and a traditional cuisine still served in village trattorias.
The wines of the Monferrato Casalese
The signature grape of the area is Grignolino, a pale, fragrant red protected by the Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese DOC. Alongside it come Barbera, as Barbera del Monferrato DOC and Barbera del Monferrato Superiore DOCG, and Freisa.
Around Gabiano two of the smallest DOCs in Piedmont are produced, Gabiano and Rubino di Cantavenna. Heading towards Asti you find Malvasia di Casorzo and Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato.
In Vignale Monferrato, Palazzo Callori houses the Regional Wine Shop of the Monferrato (Enoteca Regionale), the place to discover and taste the wines of the area.
Infernot, cellars carved into the stone
A feature unique to the Monferrato Casalese is the infernot: small rooms dug by hand into the Pietra da Cantoni sandstone beneath the houses, used to keep wine bottles in the dark at a constant temperature. The "Monferrato of the Infernot" is one of the six components of the UNESCO site of the Piedmont vineyard landscapes.
In Cella Monte, the Ecomuseum of Pietra da Cantoni tells the story of this tradition, and many private infernot can be visited during open days and events. If you buy a historic house in this area, an infernot in good condition is a valuable feature to check during the viewing.
Traditional cooking
Food in the Monferrato is Piedmontese tradition: agnolotti pasta, bagna cauda in the colder months, boiled meats, risottos from the nearby rice plain and cheeses from the hills. For something sweet, Casale Monferrato is the home of krumiri, the moustache-shaped biscuits created in the town in the nineteenth century.
In autumn the star is the truffle: on the last two Sundays of October, Moncalvo hosts one of the best-known truffle fairs in the area.
Enjoying the area all year round
The grape harvest, open cellars, village festivals and seasonal fairs set the rhythm of the year. For second-home owners it is a reason to visit out of season too; for those moving here, it is the easiest way to become part of the community.
If you would like a small vineyard or a vegetable garden of your own, the hill towns offer houses with land: each town page lists the property types most common in that area.
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