Narrow Lanes of Moleto
Distant Mountains
Monferrato Village
From Hot to Cold in a Glance
Gallery June 2022
Monthly Archives: June 2022
Bio-Diversity with Diversions
If your vineyard hike is not chosen with care, you could end up on a trail that is just that: nothing but vines. While it is good for wine education trails (which are legion, but rather short), it can be less than enthralling for hikers. I am pleased to report that this month’s trail was full of bio-diverse flora, landscapes, views, and even had two very different settlements, a village and a hamlet, to enjoy.
I began in Moleto, a hamlet devoted to art, whose Italian and foreign artists live in residence. The hamlet bills itself as a sort of open-air museum. The wall of art is the first thing to notice. This hamlet had an annual arts festival, ArtMoleto, (before the pandemic), and its artists attracted some attention region-wide. There is a local bar, with a gorgeous location overlooking the valley, and a lovely restaurant in the local cantina. Unfortunately, both attractions were closed that day. Forewarned is forearmed – this hamlet can be deserted at times.
Wine Notes: Piedmont’s Monferrato Reds
What I Learned
The Monferrato region in northern Italy has a long tradition of wine-making, pre-dating even the Romans. As the famous Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder noted, the Romans greatly appreciated the wine coming from the Muscat grape cultivated in the Monferrato as a varietal more resistant to cold weather.
Today, the Monferrato is one of Piedmont’s wine production districts. The DOC system recognizes various unique varietals and some interesting wine production techniques. The wines from here are not only high quality overall, but also indigenous to this area in some cases. I think it one of Italy’s more unknown and underrated wine districts.
Valle dei Frati: Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Valle dei Frati; AKA: CAI 746
Trail Type: A short distance circuit trail; well-maintained and almost exclusively hard-packed surfaces, from tarmac to grassland, although there were a couple of small muddy grassland spots; the trail is fairly well marked.
Length:
Total – 8 kilometers/4.97 miles
Convenient to: Casale Monferrato, or Asti, Piedmont, Italy
Marking:
Red and white horizontal (or vertical) bars, and/or words “CAI 746” (Also see featured photo above.)
