Italy - Piedmont

In the extreme northwest of Italy, Piedmont, the second largest region after Sicily, extends with over 25,000 km² of land area. The Celtic people of the Taurins and the Ligurians founded the beginnings of viticulture here. The wines, primarily produced in monasteries, only became known through the minstrels in the Middle Ages, who sang about the excellent quality of these wines. For many centuries the region and thus winegrowing was under the influence of France. Derived from the French "Pié de monte" (at the foot of the mountains), the term “Piedmont” was first used in the middle of the 13th century. The approximately 44,000 hectares of vineyards, of which over three quarters are made up of red wines, are mostly located at the foot of the Alps on both sides of the upper Po Valley. Along with Tuscany, Piedmont produces most of Italy's top wines. The best-known red wines here are the Barbaresco and Barolo wines, which are made from the Nebbiolo grape.