The Asti sands are placed on marly clays and are rich in microelements... a lot of sands to form huge heaps: no, they are not dunes, because the sands are those of an ancient sea whereas today they are the green hills of Barbera and, more precisely those of the nearby 18 villages which, thanks to their excellent exposure and perfect climatic conditions, boast the cultivation of Nizza DOCG.
The itinerary starts in Nizza Monferrato from the central Piazza Garibaldi, near the Foro Boario. Continue along Via Corsi where you will find Palazzo Crova (home to the Museo Art '900, with the collections of Davide Lajolo), but if you wish you can also take the parallel Via Carlo Alberto, which opens onto Piazza Martiri di Alessandria, where the centuries-old symbol of the city stands out: the Campanon, the bell tower of the town hall. You will then reach the SP 456 Provincial Road and, once past the long stretch of railway tracks at the station, you continue straight on to the roundabout and turn left towards Bruno/Mombaruzzo. A few hundred metres further on you will turn right onto Strada San Michele and then Strada Crivellini. It's all a sequence of well-kept vineyards and small and medium-sized wineries and the road becomes narrower and narrower.
Regione Leiso will then take you to the foot of Moasca and you will reach Piana del Salto where, if you wish, you can join the Strada del Moscato loop, another charming itinerary of the Strada del Vino Astesana (Astesana Wine Route). Follow the signs to Regione Rodotiglia and shortly afterwards turn right onto Strada Val Calosso. When you reach Regione Salere, turn onto the provincial road and, shortly afterwards, onto a small secondary road that climbs, passing through Regione Crena, up to Agliano Terme with its tidy landscape and healthy waters that have been well-known since Roman times.
Go through the village and descend along Strada Fornaci Stazione which, with a few climbs followed by short descents, will open the doors to Castelnuovo Calcea, the birthplace of Angelo Brofferio, to whom the "Me Ritorn" Museum is dedicated. Via Alfieri and then Via Gavelli will take you back into the countryside and Strada Bricco will take you to the gates of Nizza Monferrato.
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The Moscato di Canelli Wine Route
Breathtaking ridges, vineyards extending as far as the eye can see, villages with ancient charm and World Heritage landscapes. A journey through vine shoots, vines and grapes that everyone knows in their liquid form but few have the privilege of experiencing in their organic state.
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The Barbera di Rocchetta Wine Route
Its name is Rocchetta Tanaro, because for four millennia, on this river bank man has found a fertile and quiet place to dedicate himself to agriculture and trade. But it could also be called Rocchetta Barbera, because it was from here in the 1980s that Giacomo Bologna took up the challenge to introduce the world to a wine that until then had been considered a "wine of the people" and therefore, quite incorrectly, unworthy of attention. Or we could call it Rocchetta della Natura (Rocchetta’s nature) because it is the starting point of one of the largest Nature Reserves in the Province of Asti.
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Astesana Wine Route
An ancient area steeped in history, but also a Wine Route with over 200 member wineries promoting, all together, one of the Piedmont's most beautiful corners: Astesana.
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The Brachetto Wine Route
Not all rubies are meant to be worn, some can even be tasted. This is the ruby red of Brachetto, the wine that could never be missing from the living rooms of Piedmontese “madamin”. The sweet, aromatic, low-alcohol, lively, rose-scented wine that used to be served chilled when it was fashionable to meet at home for social gatherings. Times have changed, but Brachetto has retained its allure as a refined drink to be enjoyed in conversation and happy moments.
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