Cortese dell’Alto Monferrato DOC is a white wine only DOC dating from 1979 from Asti and Alessandria provinces in the Alto Monferrato area of the Piemonte region in Italy. As its name suggests, the wine is made from the Cortese grape variety (85-100%) plus an optional 0-15% of white wine grapes permitted in the Piemonte region.

Production zone by Province 

Asti province: Bubbio. | Canelli. | Castelnuovo Belbo. | Fontanille. | Incisa Scapaccino. | Mombaruzzo. | Monastero Bormida. | Montabone. | Nizza Monferrato. | Roccaverano. | Vesime. | Bruno. | Maranzana. | Cortiglione. | Quaranti. | Castelletto Molina. | Castel Rocchero. | Calamandrana. | Rocchetta Palafea. | Rocchetta Tanaro. | Castel Boglione. | Cassinasco. | Sessame. | Loazzolo. | Cessole. | S. Giorgio Scarampi. | Olmo Gentile. | Mombaldone. | Serole. | S. Marzano Oliveto. | Vinchio. | Vaglio Serra. | Mombercelli. | Belveglio. | Castelnuovo Calcea. 

Alessandria province: Acqui Terme. | Alice Belcolle. | Basaluzzo. | Belforte Monferrato. | Bistagno. | Carpeneto. | Carosio. | Casaleggio Borio. | Cassine. | Cassinelle. | Castelletto d’Erro. | Castelletto d’Orba. | Castelnuovo Bormida. | Cavatore. | Cremolino. | Denice. | Gamalero. | Grognardo. | Lerma. | Malvicino. | Predosa. | Melazzo. | Merana. | Molare. | Montaldeo. | Montaldo Bormida. | Montechiaro d’Acqui. | Morbello. | Mornese. | Morsacco. | Orsara Bormida. | Ovada. | Pareto. | Ponti. | Ponzone. | Prasco. | Ricaldone. | Rivalta Bormida. | Rocca Grimalda. | Silvano d’Orba. | Spigno Monferrato. | Strevi. | Tagliolo Monferrato. | Terzo d’Acqui. | Trisobbio. | Visone ed. | in parte. | nel territorio amministrativo dei comuni di: Capriata d’Orba. | Francavilla Bisio. | Novi Ligure. | Pasturana. | Sezzadio.

Terroir: The presence of the Cortese grape variety in the Alto Monferrato which, strictly speaking, corresponds to the areas of Ovada and Acqui Terme, and broadly speaking (that of the DOC) extends to the south of Asti, is attested in a letter from the farmer of Montaldeo to the Marquis Doria, dated 1659. In fact, the vine is, in human memory, widely spread from Monferrato to Tortonese (“indigenous vine of a rustic and vigorous nature, from long known and cultivated in the area “Demaria and Leardi, 1869) and, even further east, in Oltrepò Pavese.

The Cortese dell’Alto Monferrato occupies the westernmost area of ​​diffusion of the Cortese variety, bordering, in the east, with the Gavi area where the Cortese has reached the peak of fame and to the west with Le Langhe, where it is instead very little present. The soils are mainly calcareous-clayey and calcareous-marly.

Yields: 10 tonnes per hectare plus an extra 20% in favourable years.

Wine styles

Cortese dell’Alto Monferrato DOC: Cortese dell’Alto Monferrato is traditionally a dry, fresh and light white wine, although sometimes it is also more structured. It is also produced in sparkling and sparkling versions (see below).

Cortese Alto Monferrato DOC Frizzante: Semi-sparkling white.

Cortese Alto Monferrato DOC Spumante: Fully sparkling white.

Wine production: 2011 15,021hl. | 2012 15,617hl. | 2013 14,756hl. | 2014 15,087hl. | 2015 14,085hl. | 2016 8,887hl.

Bibliography