The 6-acre Mondianese farm is located in the hilly area of Montemagno, which means “big hill”, and Castagnole Monferrato in the province of Asti, located in Piedmont in northwestern Italy.  Many of our customers have had the great opportunity to travel to Piedmont and are already big fans of the wines from this region.

Asti has a continental climate, which because of its proximity of the Mediterranean Sea means it has warmer winters and cooler summers, important for growing quality grapes. While the Asti province became famous around the world thanks to Martini and Rossi, which made commercial wines like Asti Spumante, it is now also becoming famous internationally for its classic red wines such as Barbera d’Asti.

The “Baby Barb” Barbera d’Asti from Mondianese is untouched by oak, undergoing malolactic fermentation in stainless steel. The result is a wine with an intriguing nose, with aromas of fig and chocolate covered cherry. The palate though, is quite bright with fresh acidity up front that gradually falls away leaving flavors of rich dark fruit and chocolate. I like to pair this wine with a seared bone-in pork chop with truffled mashed potatoes. Why truffle? Asti province becomes a gourmands delight from October to December in the white truffle or “tartufo bianco” season. Although neighboring Alba is better known for its October truffle fair, some of the best truffles are found around Asti’s hills, and every weekend there is a local truffle festival. Enjoy!