Travelling through the Astigiano means above all sitting down to table. This may seem a paradox, but any visit to this delightful corner of Piedmont cannot ignore its food and wine. The pulsing heart of its regional enogastronomy beats beneath its hills, covered with vineyards, an uninterrupted series of gentle slopes which, from the last stretches of the Maritime Alps, sheltered by the Ligurian Apennines, suddenly come to a halt at the banks of the River Po. Hills with many famous names - like Langhe or Monferrato – but it is only by experiencing them – or better still, walking among them – that you can learn to appreciate their smallest nuances … or by sitting down to table, in a typical trattoria where, through forms, tastes, products and even card games (!) you begin to understand a new world, where the hills are divided into sorì (the slopes exposed to the sun, and therefore appropriate for wine cultivation), the villages are distinguished by their wines, cheeses, fruit and vegetables, the cities by their trade fairs and markets. One undisputed sovereign reigns supreme on all these hills - the White Truffle: unique and unrepeatable, the joy and desire of every chef in the world. It is an underground and highly perfumed fungus, cut into fine slivers to enhance and embellish the great recipes of Piedmont. It is found during nocturnal searches, secret and mysterious, with the help of specifically trained dogs, and is available from October to December; during the rest of the year, Black Truffle is available, different and less costly, but always delightful and appetising.
The province of Asti has no less than 18 D.O.C. and D.O.C.G. wines, testifying to the excellence of this region’s wine production, promoted and protected by regional wine cellars and specialist local wine stores. Discovering the particularities and differences between so many different types (vine species, territories, wine-making) is a delightful game, starting with the two main vine species in the Astigiano: Barbera and Moscato. Barbera is the wine of Monferrato, full and deeply coloured, young and with a good body, firm or vivacious; it is the pride of this area. Next, Moscato, which produces Asti, the most famous sweet spumante in the world. And then there are Freisa, Grignolino, Ruché, Cortese, Dolcetto, Malvasia, Brachetto, Cisterna… along with many other wines you can discover on your tour of wine cellars and stores, among inns and restaurants. An endless journey, renewed each year in September, for the harvest.
As with any lunch, these hills too have a menu you can leaf through: after which, the food arrives, with monferrino cooked salami (unique and spicy), with Motta pepper (square in form and fleshy, to be eaten raw or roasted), with thistles from Nizza Monferrato (ideal for Bagna Cauda, Piedmont’s most typical dish) or Saracen asparaguses from Vinchio (particularly tender and tasty), Roccaverano D.O.P. (perhaps the greatest goats’ milk cheese in the world), super sweet apples from San Marzano, Hazel-Nuts, called Tonda and Gentile, which due to their aroma and taste are the most highly prized in the world (and one of the essential ingredients in Nutella!), almond cakes from Mombaruzzo. And again, peaches and cherries, potatoes and flour: a food-valley which has earned its place among the menus of the best restaurants around the world (including many in the astigiani itself) and which can be supremely enjoyed surrounded by the intimacy of the area’s old style trattorias, which you can still find among these hills; or on a tour through farms and wine cellars, fields and vegetable gardens, to see the products with your own eyes, and get to know the artisans of taste who supply the restaurants with their ingredients.
Together with the products of the land, the area’s cattle and sheep farms are also a source of excellence: Piedmont’s meat is certainly the best in the world, so much so that wherever you go it is also served raw, beaten to make it even more tender, and accompanied by nothing more than a dash of extra virgin olive oil and a clove of garlic. And producing dishes like Bollito (an extraordinary selection of meat cuts which enjoy their maximum expression in the Bue Grasso of December), or Finanziera (a rural dish based on chitterlings), Fritto Misto (an exceptional array, with 21 courses of meat, vegetables and desserts in batter). And again, all the red meats, perfectly matched by the full-bodied wines of these hills: roasts, braised courses, game… Though we must not forget the first courses either: with unique yellow tajarin, drawn and cut by hand, in accordance with tradition, or ravioli - those filled with three types of meat and those with vegetables… and moreover the cheeses, the sweets and the cakes, the Grappa (distillate of grape stalks) or a Chinato Wine (aromatised with china and other medical herbs)… The Astigiano area is a land full of history and art: from its system of romanesque churches, which wind their way from Asti to Turin, along the ancient Via Francigena, along with tens of medieval castles. History takes to the stage once again, however, in the thousands of re-evocations which are held during the year: in primis, the Palio Race (the oldest horse-riding competition in Italy) in September; the Siege of Canelli (which originally took place during the Monferrato War of Succession) in June; the Festival delle Sagre (a magnificent display of rural culture), again in September; and the Truffles Fairs, between October and November. As for cultural events, there are too many to count: from the Festival of Astiteatro (in June), to the “Grinzane Cavour” Cultural Park at Costigliole, to the Monferrato Festivals of Culture throughout the summer. Summer in the hills is characterised by delightful and airy breezes, while from the highest hills it is possible to catch a glimpse of the nearby Ligurian Sea.
|
 |
