Freisa: the fruit and tannins of the Piedmont hills

The Freisa is cultivated in different areas of Piemonte, with presences in the Astigiano, Casalese and the hills of Turin. Its diffusion puts in communication neighboring landscapes and productive traditions. The vine therefore offers a wider itinerary than the name of a single denomination.

From Asti, the journey can open to the north of the province and Castelnuovo Don Bosco, or continue towards Casale Monferrato. Choosing a direction helps to transform grape knowledge into a succession of places, with their insights and paths to explore.

Freisa's grapes are small and dark; the cluster is elongated and rather scattered. In wine, tannins are an important part, alongside fruity character. They are useful elements to recognize the vine through styles that can change a lot from one bottle to another.

In tasting, follow the feeling that remains after the sip and how it dialogues with the fruit. Next to the Barbera or Grignolino, the Freisa adds another voice to the story of the red balloons. A comparison of this type gives thickness to the visit without requiring a complicated language.

The tradition of Freisa includes lively wines and firm interpretations, also intended for aging. Knowing the vine helps to keep these possibilities together. When choosing a bottle, the style stated by the manufacturer adds a reading key to the grape name.

To continue the journey, go back to Astigian hills and choose a village to visit. In the cellar, comparing two works of Freisa allows you to listen to how a wine is built: from the management of tannins to the role of effervescence, every choice makes readable a different intention.

Follow the Freisa in the Astigiano allows to pass from an urban center to a geography of small countries. Advertisement Asti, towers, squares and streets of the center tell a city of exchanges, from which you can open different routes. The Palio adds the dimension of public life and city identity. Leaving towards the hills, the gaze moves on the farms and centres in a dominant position: the agricultural landscape finds a closer staircase, where work is read on the slopes and roads connecting the inhabited areas.

North of the province, Castelnuovo Don Bosco, Pino d'Asti and Albugnano offer a sequence of stops to know this part of Monferrato. Albugnano's viewpoint allows you to observe the presence of forests, vineyards and villages; the history of the territory also meets Vezzolano, in depth in the municipal card. Along the way, he dedicates a time to the village and one to the countryside: the position of a church, the profile of a village and the alternation of crops give consistency to the story of wine.

The Freisa enters these hills along with other grapes. The Nebbiolo door towards Albugnano; Malvasia di Schierano introduces a local aromatic tradition. This proximity allows you to set a tasting around the origin and listen to how producers choose varieties and processes. Continue in Casalese, visit can also meet the stone of villages and infernot. The journey of the Freisa acquires more levels: plant, wine, landscape and memory of communities become parts of a discovery to follow with extended times.