Trail Name: Sentiero del Malvasia
Trail Type:
Mid-distance; paved in the urban area, dirt, loam or grass in other parts; somewhat maintained, but the route itself is not well marked.
Length: Total – 10 kilometers/ 6 miles
Convenient to: Asti, or Casale Monferrato, Italy
Marking:
Rectangular sign with red and white stripes overwritten “2” (or not)
While the trail is known as Tra Santi e Vigne (Between Saints and Vines), I found the experience more analogous to being between heaven and earth. I encountered heavenly views of majestic Alps and iconic hilltop villages, and the earthly delights of the vine, not to mention the table, in this Italian paradise called Monferrato.
My journey started with the vines, lining the rim of a sun-drenched bowl. Descending into the bowl and crossing a small stream, the trail led up a road and into more vineyards, which ultimately dropped into more natural bowls. This is a hilly country, ideal for hiking and vines, not to mention castles, of which I saw several.
What I Learned
The Monferrato 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 resistant to cold weather.
The rise of Christianity and establishment of monastic organizations ensured that even after the fall of the Roman Empire, and especially after the barbarian invasions, the production of wine would continue in the Monferrato up until today.
Trail Name: Tra Santi e Vigne (Amid Saints and Vineyards)
Trail Type: Short distance trail, in the Piedmont region of Italy; varied trail surfaces from paved, to hard-pack, to grass, to soft sand or mud, somewhat maintained, but the route itself is not sufficiently marked to follow without a map or GPX coordinates.
Length: total – approximately 9 kilometers/ 5.5 miles
Convenient to: Asti, or Casale Monferrato, Italy
Marking: Both a trailhead sign and rectangular signs with red and white stripes overwritten “740”
