Savoring Piedmont: Monferrato Casalese’s Wine and White Truffles

Posted by Rowena Dumlao Rowena Dumlao - Giardina 1/07/2026

Savoring Piedmont: Monferrato Casalese’s Wine and White Truffles

Monferrato, a UNESCO World Heritage site alongside Langhe and Roero, charms with its vineyard-covered hills and medieval villages, but its true allure lies in its wines and truffles. Recently, the region came alive at the 58th International White Truffle Fair “Trifola d’Or” in Murisengo, where the rich aroma of truffles mingled with the crisp autumn air and the clink of glasses filled with local wines. Even when a blanket of the region’s famous nebbia shrouded the landscape, it added a mystical beauty, giving the hills and vineyards a dreamlike, almost cinematic quality.

Organized by the Consortium Colline del Monferrato Casalese, the event was more than a tasting—it was a celebration of terroir, tradition, and the people who bring it to life. Often overlooked in favor of its more famous neighbors, Monferrato shines with a distinct character, offering visitors a sensory journey of flavors, landscapes, and authentic experiences that linger long after the last sip.

Masterclasses & Wine Tastings: Immersed in Monferrato’s Soul

The Monferrato tasting experience was organized into three carefully curated masterclasses guided by Sommelier Pierfrancesco Cervino of Associazione Italiana Sommelier, each designed to explore the region’s signature wines, unique terroirs, and traditional winemaking techniques. The aim was to provide a comprehensive understanding of Monferrato’s diversity, from the lesser-known Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese to the more established Barbera del Monferrato Superiore, as well as the smaller DOCs of Gabiano and Rubino di Cantavenna. With 36 labels featured across multiple estates, the masterclasses offered a 360-degree view of Monferrato winemaking, which allowed comparison on styles, vintages, and production techniques. The sessions also highlighted the collaboration between smaller DOCs, demonstrating the region’s commitment to quality, innovation, and shared knowledge.

Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese Riserva DOC

At Tenuta La Tenaglia, the tasting focused on two distinct interpretations of Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese, moving from fresh, steel-vinified wines that emphasized the grape’s pale ruby hue, bright acidity, and notes of wild strawberry, citrus, and rose, to the more structured, oak-aged Riserva and Monferace selections, where greater depth and supple tannins emerged. The discussion highlighted how vineyard practices on Monferrato’s sedimentary soils impart a subtle mineral edge, and how careful maceration and vinification preserve aromatic clarity and the grape’s naturally food-friendly profile. Long overshadowed by Piedmont’s powerhouse varieties due to its firm tannic grip and historical inconsistency, Grignolino is now being thoughtfully re-evaluated, as shifting preferences toward lower-alcohol, nuanced reds reveal its ability to express both immediacy and depth, depending on its treatment in the cellar.

In its classic form, Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese DOC Riserva emphasizes transparency, freshness, and tension. Steel- or cement-vinified examples, often paired with extended bottle aging, highlight lifted aromatics of wild strawberry, rosehip, orange zest, citrus peel, geranium, and spice, supported by bright acidity and fine yet assertive tannins. Wines such as Gaudio’s demonstrate how clay-limestone soils and time in bottle can bring harmony and finesse without sacrificing vibrancy. These wines express the grape and soil with remarkable directness, capturing the straight, unadorned character of both variety and terroir. Grignolino’s naturally firm tannins require time to soften, a point clearly illustrated by producers like Canato, whose wines are released only after eight years of aging.

Monferace represents the traditional, wood-aged interpretation of Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese and is also the name of an association of 16 producers dedicated to reviving this historic style. Made exclusively from 100 percent Grignolino, Monferace wines must meet strict aging requirements, including a minimum of three years in wood followed by one year in bottle. The objective is to demonstrate the grape’s capacity for structure, complexity, and longevity beyond its youthful expression. Compared to steel-aged and bottle-driven styles, Monferace wines show softened tannins, greater depth, and layered aromatics of dried rose, tea leaves, spice, balsamic notes, and dark chocolate, while retaining vibrant acidity. Produced only in exceptional vintages and in limited quantities, Monferace offers a more contemplative, age-worthy expression of Grignolino, revealing a serious and noble dimension that challenges long-held perceptions.

Barbera del Monferrato Superiore DOCG, Gabiano DOC, and Rubino di Cantavenna DOC

At Castello di Gabiano, the tasting highlighted four Monferrato denominations: Rubino di Cantavenna DOC, Gabiano DOC, Barbera del Monferrato Casalese DOC, and Barbera del Monferrato Superiore DOCG. These wines reflect the microclimates and terroir of the hills, typically showing ruby-red hues, aromas of red and black fruits with subtle spice, lively acidity, and well-integrated tannins. Rubino di Cantavenna DOC is a historic blend of Barbera, Grignolino, and Freisa, fresh and vibrant with red fruit, subtle spice, and sometimes leather and earthy notes. Gabiano DOC produces approachable reds, whites, and blends, emphasizing freshness, food-friendly charm, and terroir expression. Barbera del Monferrato Casalese DOC highlights bright fruit, soft tannins, and lively acidity, ideal for early enjoyment, while Barbera del Monferrato Superiore DOCG, the region’s richest Barbera, offers dark fruit, spice, integrated tannins, and ageing potential, providing a complex, elegant expression of Monferrato’s hills.

The Rubino di Cantavenna DOC wines ranged from the vibrant Sbarato 2021, with marasca cherries and harmonious tannins, to Castello di Gabiano 2019, showing elegance, candied fruit, and smooth, savory structure, and Ca’ Ordano 2018, which offered rustic intensity and a powerful finish. These wines illustrate how steel, cement, and short wood aging balance freshness with tannic structure, allowing the grape’s character to shine.

The Barbera del Monferrato Superiore DOCG wines demonstrated richness, structure, and versatility. Vellano Pierin 2022, from old vines and aged 18 months in wood, stood out for depth, elegance, and expressive dark fruit and coffee notes. Other examples ranged from floral, vertical styles to structured, age-worthy wines with silky, persistent tannins, highlighting the DOCG’s ability to produce both approachable and cellar-worthy expressions.

Finally, Gabiano DOC emphasized refinement and balance, with Castello di Gabiano A Matilde Riserva 2020 showcasing red berries, peonies, subtle spice, and polished structure. Across all three denominations, the wines demonstrated Monferrato’s soils, microclimates, and winemaking traditions, offering freshness, elegance, and food-friendly versatility.

Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese DOC Tradizionale, Riserva, Metodo Classico and Metodo Charmat

At Hic et Nunc, the masterclass focused on Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese across four expressions: Tradizionale, Riserva, Metodo Martinotti, and Metodo Classico. Together, these wines highlighted the grape’s natural acidity, pale color, aromatic lift, and distinctive tannic edge, as well as its surprising versatility. From salmon and light pink hues in the sparkling versions to transparent cherry-red tones in the still wines, the common thread was freshness, tension, and clarity of expression.

The sparkling Grignolino wines revealed an unexpected but convincing side of the variety. Metodo Martinotti examples emphasized aromatic precision and immediacy, with notes of white flowers, crisp pear, apple, and rose petals, supported by bright acidity and a clean, energetic palate. The Metodo Classico interpretation added another layer, showing greater depth and persistence, with citrus-driven notes, saline tension, and complexity on both nose and palate, confirming Grignolino’s suitability for traditional sparkling methods.

The traditional still Grignolino wines showcased the grape in its most transparent and expressive form. Short macerations delivered pale, luminous color, lifted aromatics of cherry, raspberry, strawberry, sage, and floral notes, and fine but assertive tannins balanced by lively acidity. These wines were defined by precision and drinkability, offering immediacy without simplicity.

More structured examples, including Riserva-style wines, brought additional complexity, with tea leaves, pepper, black berries, savory notes, and subtle bitterness adding depth while preserving freshness. Standout wines such as Casalone La Caplet 2022 and Castello di Gabiano Ruco 2024 demonstrated how Grignolino can move beyond lightness into a more layered, gastronomic expression. Across all styles, the tasting confirmed Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese as a singular, flexible, and character-driven grape, capable of shining well beyond its traditional boundaries.

White Truffles: The Diamond of Monferrato’s Culinary Crown

Autumn in Monferrato reaches its most evocative expression at the White Truffle Fair of Murisengo (Trifola d’Or), where the prized Tuber magnatum Pico takes center stage. Part market, part celebration, the fair brings together trifolau (traditional truffle hunters), producers, and visitors, while the official competition—curated by the National Truffle Study Center of Alba—crowns the finest specimens of the season. This year, top honors went to Michele Distefano for an exceptional 409-gram white truffle, a striking expression of Monferrato’s terroir.

A guided sensorial tasting offered insight into how white truffles are evaluated through sight, touch, and smell. Excellence begins with an intact, clean fruiting body and a gently elastic texture, but it is the aroma that defines true quality—an intense yet refined bouquet marked by honey, hay, garlic, damp earth, and spice, lingering with remarkable persistence.

The village of Murisengo and the surrounding Valcerrina area are widely regarded as the heart of Monferrato’s truffle territory. Here, marly-calcareous soils and a temperate microclimate create ideal growing conditions. From September to January, truffle hunting continues as a centuries-old rural practice, now recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, reflecting a deep bond between landscape, tradition, and knowledge passed down through generations.

Highly perishable and handled with care, white truffles are stored briefly, cleaned only before use, and never cooked—instead shaved raw over eggs, fresh pasta, risotto, or veal to preserve their aroma. Naturally low in calories and cholesterol-free, they also contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. At the table, Monferrato wines complete the experience: Barbera del Monferrato for freshness, Grignolino for delicacy and spice, Freisa for structure, and whites such as Cortese or Timorasso, allowing the truffle to remain the undisputed star.