Gattinara DOCG: The Elegance of Alto Piemonte’s Spanna Wines→

by: Alexa

The Gattinara DOCG boasts ancient origins. It is believed that the first vineyards were planted by the Romans in the 2nd century BC.

Furthermore, historians believe that the town of Gattinara stands at the location where a Roman proconsul, Quintus Lutatius Catulus, sacrificed the war spoils of the defeated Cimbri people to the gods in the summer of 101 BC, near Vercelli. For this occasion, the 'Catuli Ara' was erected, from which both the town and the wine got their name.

It is also said that, in 1518, the wine was presented at the Spanish court by Cardinal Mercurino Arborio, Marquis of Gattinara and Chancellor to Charles V. The cardinal introduced it as a diplomatic bargaining tool, gaining success, and from that moment, Gattinara became known to the entire European nobility.

The DOCG was officially recognized in 1990, and production was limited to the unique territory of the town of Gattinara.

The town of Gattinara is located in the province of Vercelli. To the northwest of the town, there is a steep hill where the historic denomination is cultivated. The area is right at the center of the supervolcano's caldera. The soil is very acidic, with a thin terrain and poor humus content. The subsoil is made up of pure rock - caldera fill - of a brown color.

Look at the light color of the grignolino grape

Spanna (Nebbiolo) and the DOCG Regulations

Gattinara DOCG mandates that the wines must be made with at least 90% Nebbiolo (locally called Spanna), with optional small percentages of:

• Vespolina (up to 4%) – adding spice and floral notes

• Uva Rara (Bonarda di Gattinara) (up to 10%) – softening the wine with fruitier, rounder flavors

Gattinara’s Unique Terroir and Spanna (Nebbiolo) Grapes

The Influence of Volcanic Soil

One of the defining characteristics of Gattinara DOCG is its volcanic soil. The region’s terrain consists of:

• Acidic, mineral-rich soil with very little humus

• Brown, rocky subsoil made from ancient volcanic caldera deposits

• Excellent drainage, which stresses the vines, leading to lower yields but highly concentrated grapes

These conditions contribute to Gattinara’s distinctive style—wines that are structured, austere, and incredibly age-worthy, often requiring time to fully develop their complexity.

Compared to Barolo and Barbaresco, Gattinara wines tend to be more mineral-driven, lighter in body, and higher in acidity, making them perfect for long-term aging.

How to Visit Gattinara: Travel Tips & Attractions

If you’re planning a wine tour in Alto Piemonte, Gattinara is an unmissable stop. Here’s everything you need to know to get there, where to stay, and what to do.

Getting to Gattinara

• By Car: Gattinara is about 1.5 hours from Milan and 1 hour from Turin. Renting a car is the best way to explore the region.

• By Train: The closest train station is in Romagnano Sesia, about 15 minutes from Gattinara by taxi.

• By Air: The nearest airports are Milan Malpensa (MXP) and Turin Caselle (TRN).

What to Do in Gattinara

• Visit Historic Wineries – Many producers offer guided tastings of their Gattinara DOCG wines. Some top wineries include:

• Antoniolo – One of the most famous and historic wineries in Gattinara

• Travaglini – Known for their unique bottle shape and traditional winemaking

• Hike to the Torre delle Castelle – A scenic medieval tower overlooking the vineyards

• Explore Alto Piemonte’s Wine Routes – Discover other nearby DOCGs like Ghemme, Bramaterra, Boca, and Lessona

• Dine on Local Cuisine – Try traditional dishes like Paniscia (a local risotto), Brasato al Gattinara (beef braised in Nebbiolo), and Toma cheese

For more details on custom Gattinara wine tours, check out our exclusive wine tour packages here. 

Grignolino wine and its noble history

by: Alexa

Before the arrival of Barolo on the scene, “the wine of the kings” was another one: Grignolino.

Grignolino described as a wine with an anarchic but noble soul, it was one of the favorites of the king of Italy, always on the sumptuous tables of the royal court and the Dukes of Monferrato for their dinners with the biggest personalities of Europe.

Unfortunately, as we know, the trends are always changing, especially inside the spoiled world of nobles of the past. Grignolino started to be abandoned in favor of other wines, such as Barolo.

But let’s proceed in order. It was an expert of wine, Enza Cavallero, who researched the history of Grignolino and wrote about it. She found out that the first written document in which this variety was mentioned was from the XIII century. Then, in the XIV century appeared in the wines inventory of a monastery from Susa as “Grignolerii” wine. However, the very first mention in an ampelographic book was in the XVIII century, in which the writer called it “Nebieul rosè”, probably because it’s a direct descendant of Nebbiolo grape, but it’s lighter in color.  

Look at the light color of the grignolino grape

But why isn’t Grignolino as famous as the other wines of the region? The answer is in its more recent history. Between the ‘60 and the ‘70, Monferrato was a big tourist destination of Piedmont. People were especially coming for the restaurants: in 1961 Lidia and Guido Alciati opened, inside a little basement in Costigliole d’Asti village, a luxury restaurant that would become the first two Michelin stars of Piedmont. They were particularly famous for the ravioli del plin in a napkin (by the way, you must try them if you haven’t!). Coming back to the wine, the customers were asking for a bottle of Grignolino thinking that it was a rosè wine. In fact this variety doesn’t give a lot of color to the wine, usually resulting in a very light colored drink that was mistaken for a rosè wine. But Grignolino is the exact opposite, it’s a powerful wine with quite strong tannins that can evolve in time. Usually, the customers left the wine the first time, the second time they asked for something different. Consequently, the restaurants didn’t ask the producer anymore to buy the Grignolino and the production started to be abandoned. 

It was only recently that this wine was rediscovered and now has two denominations: Grignolino d’Asti DOC, since 1973 and Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese since 1974. 

Still, there aren’t many wineries whose first production is Grignolino, but the potential within this grape varietal has been rediscovered little by little. In 2016 was born the Monferace Association. The 12 founders chose this name because it was the ancient way of calling Monferrato during the era of Aleramico (here to read about Aleramico and the birth of Monferrato). They called Monferace a Grignolino wine that does at least 40 months of aging, of which at least 24 in wood. The idea was to restore the importance of the great Grignolino loved by the nobility of the past. Note that this is a wine that will give its best after some years of resting. The tannins will soften and donate an elegant wine in the nose and mouth. 

Talking more technically about Grignolino, the name comes from the fact that the grapes have more seeds, “grignole” in the local dialect, than the other varieties of the area. The great number of seeds makes it difficult to vinify it, because while pressing the grapes, the wine producer has to be really careful not to crush all of the seeds. It could result in a bitter taste of the wine. 

Another theory about the name Grignolino suggests that it may come from the local dialect word “grignè” that means laughing. An expression like a smile appears on the face of whoever drinks a glass of Grignolino, because of the strong tannins. 

As said before, the color of the wine is very light, this is because of the instability of the grape during the maturation: the single berries in a bunch are not able to achieve the same coloration during this process. Because of this it’s permitted by the disciplinary to add a small percentage of another wine in order to produce Grignolino. 

But let’s talk more specifically about the two denominations.

GRIGNOLINO D’ASTI DOC

The area of production includes 35 municipalities under the province of Asti.

The grapes used to make this Grignolino are from 90% to 100% Grignolino and not more than 10% of Freisa, in order to give more color to the final product, but without changing its nature. 

The color is light ruby red.

To the nose, it gives delicate fruity notes, especially of red fruits, underbrush and in the end hints of white pepper. 

On the palate it feels austere and elegant, but a little astringent because of the tannins. The finish is nicely bitter. 

GRIGNOLINO DEL MONFERRATO CASALESE DOC

The area of production includes 29 municipalities around the city of Casale Monferrato, that is one hour west to Turin. 

The grapes that can be used by disciplinary are from 100% to 95% of Grignolino and not more than 5% of Freisa and Barbera on their own or blend together. 

The color is light ruby red with orange reflexes.

The aromas at the nose are fruit forward, fresh and with a persistent note of dried fruit, especially peanut. 

On the palate it’s dry and fresh, with a bitter finish. 

It needs to be aged from 1 to 2 years. It’s also possible to produce a riserva that must be aged from 3 to 6 years.