Piemonte is one of Italy's most important wine regions and sits as it's name suggests at the foot of the Alps bordering, France and Switzerland. Within it's picturesque confines the avid wine lover can visit forty six DOC and four DOCG designated areas and discover Piemontese royalty in the form of the Barbera, Barolo and Barbareco wines. These rich and robust wines have as their base the Nebbiolo grape. A derivative of the word nebbia, meaning fog, the grapes are covered in a velvety, whitish coating and with a harvest time in September,when heavy morning fog covers the vineyards, it is easy to comprehend the significance of it's name. On a sweeter note Piemonte is also home to the light, delicate Moscato grape and the delicious Asti Spumante. When Benedetto Carpano created the worlds first Vermouth at his shop in Turin in 1786 with a combination of local Moscato and Sicilian red grapes and mountain herbs he began a trend that has endured to this day and the "aperitif" was born.
