Monferace Grignolino d'Asti D.O.C.

Produced near Milan in Northwestern Italy, Monferace is a red wine exclusively made with Grignolino, a historic grape variety from Piemonte’s Monferrato district. It is something very different from other Grignolino available in the market today-it is a Grignolino that is more structured, complex, and aged in wood. THE MONFERACE NAME
A name that both describes the terroir and the rich history of the Monferrato district, Monferace is taken from the Latin phrase “Mons Ferax”, which literally translates as “the fertile hills”. It is also the name of the Monferrato Aleramici, a Frankish noble family that settled in the area and controlled it during feudal times. It is this family that is referenced in a famous history of the region, written in 1550 by Leandro Alberti of Bologna. THE HISTORY OF GRIGNOLINO
An ancient grape variety once enjoying widespread production throughout the Piemonte region, Grignolino suffered greatlywith the arrival of phylloxera at the close of the nineteenth century. A disease that devastated vineyards and destroyed the rich winemaking heritage of the country, phylloxera forcedfarmers to produce crops that were more bountiful and resistant to pests or diseases. Grignolino, delicate and difficult to manage, was replaced by vignaioli with more productive and robust varieties like Barbera. This decline in production continued throughout the twentieth century, reaching a low point during the 1970s and 1980s. In addition to the decline in production brought on by its lower yields and sensitivity to disease, the grape’s high acidity and tannin also brought about a stylistic change. Seeking a lighter, more refreshing wine, producers began to make Grignolino by blending in other varieties or producing it with shorter maceration periods. This often resulted in wines that were not age worthy, low in alcohol and designed for fast consumption. THE MONFERACE ASSOCIATIONL
Established by eleven producers in 2016, the Monferace Association was developed to support and promote the creation of a business network (“The Monferace Project”) that preserves the art of winemaking in the unique terroir of the hills of Monferrato. THE TERROIR OF MONFERACE
An area rich in beauty, history, myths, and legends, the Monferace terroir is made up of 24 municipalities located between the Po and Tanaro rivers and near the cities of Casale Monferrato, Alessandria, and Asti. The soils are a mixture of sandstone, limestone, and clay, rich in silt and marine fossils, all resulting in several micro-zones for production that are a microcosm of different cru sites and hilly vineyards which enjoy excellent southern exposure. THE WINE OF MONFERACE
A wine with strict production requirements, Monferace can only be produced with Grignolino grapes that are harvested from specific, registered vineyards (a sort of cru designation) in the best growing years. The maximum yield for these vineyards must not exceed 70 quintals per hectare, and a minimum aging of 40 months is required (with at least 24 months of that aging occurring in wood). In addition, a commission of professionals and technicians is empaneled in each vintage to taste the wines blindly and evaluate the characteristics and overall suitability of the vintage if the wines are not considered worthy of the Monferace designation, the association can elect not to release them. Monferace, the name chosen by the producers of Historic Grignolino. With this wine we wanted to recover a consolidated tradition in the Monferrato wine production. The Grignolino fact, boasting noble and ancient origins, was cultivated and vinified in order to obtain a wine destined to last over time. The grapes come partly from one of the oldest vineyards, historic plants of Grignolino which have reached a perfect balance in the pedoclimatic environment of the Monferrato hills. The calcareous-clayey marls contribute to produce a wine where elegance and structure are combined in a perfect balance of taste.