The sparkling wine production activity in Italy is today very vast and not only based on international vine varieties, but also on valuable creations with native vine varieties. However, if we think to the Italian area that has given greater impetus to sparkling wine throughout the territory, we can only refer to Piedmont. Probably due to the geographical and political connection of the Savoy Kingdom with France, the first true, modern practices of quality sparkling wine with reference to the production techniques of Champagne, began here in the 19th century. It was a widespread practice throughout the region with every type of grape variety with the Noble Families involved in wine production. There are thousands of testimonials but certainly, as reported by the Oenologist and Historian Tablino, all attempts to make sparkling wines in Piedmont find two fundamental supports:
The support of King Carlo Alberto di Savoia who, in the development of agricultural techniques of the Pollenzo Agency, encourages the production of quality sparkling wines with the trusted winemaker Staglieno and with the help of French experts;
The great contribution of Carlo Gancia who, even having worked at the great French Maison of Champagne Piper Heidsiek, was the first to develop the champagne-type production method at Canelli (today called in Italy the Classic Method) that he applied to Moscato (which he used also for Vermouth), perhaps starting first the quality sparkling of native vine varieties.
The fact that sparkling wine was still widespread in Piedmont as early as the end of the eighteenth century is also given by an affirmation attributed to the American President Thomas Jefferson, who, visiting Agleterre in Turin in 1787, after drinking Nebbiolo, said “this wine is as lively as champagne”.
Categorised in: Wine Stories
