Brachetto d'Acqui
Styles
Principal grape varieties
Terroir
Natural factors
- Clay soils in the Nizza Monferrato zone, sand and silt in the Acquese: two distinct textures within the same DOCG.
- Soil differences directly influence the aromatic nuances of both the grapes and the wines.
- The production zone spans 26 communes across two provinces, within the Alto Monferrato area.
- The distinctive morphology and climatic characteristics of the territory have selected Brachetto as the best-adapted grape variety.
Human factors
- In 1817 Gallesio described Brachetto as a «celebrated» dessert wine already exported to South America; phylloxera reduced production to 500 hl by 1922. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
- In the 1950s Arturo Bersano relaunched the wine using the metodo Martinotti (autoclave/Charmat method); from 2008 a spumante typology was also permitted.
Product characteristics
- Classic profile (1922): sweet aromatic red, moderately alcoholic, lightly colored, consumed frizzante or spumante.
- Clay soils (Nizza Monferrato) vs. sand and silt (Acquese) influence the aromatic nuances of both the grapes and the wines.
Terroir / wine link
- Clay soils in Nizza Monferrato and sandy-silty soils in the Acquese give rise to distinct aromatic nuances in both the grapes and the wines.
Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.
Sources
- Specification (EUR-Lex, single document)
- eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-IT-A1382
- Official trade body site — Consorzio Tutela Vini d'Acqui