TOP 5 types of Asti champagne: characteristics, which one to choose, value for money
Asti is a sweet sparkling wine whose production is concentrated in Piedmont, Italy. Many Italian companies supply Asti to the Russian market, so it is difficult to decide on the choice of such champagne in stores, especially given the rather high price of Asti.
Champagne Asti is always made from White Muscat grapes. However, sparkling wines from different manufacturers have their own flavor characteristics in one way or another. In addition, they often vary greatly in cost. In this article, we will explain which Asti champagne to choose based on the ideal price-performance ratio.
Rating TOP 5 types of Asti champagne
Based on consumer ratings, I have selected the five most popular Asti champagnes from several Italian manufacturers.
Gancia
Asti with a perfectly balanced, mild taste, pronounced sweetness and wonderful aroma of peach flowers and honey. Ideal to serve with ice cream, light desserts and fruits. Also goes well with seafood and poultry.
| Fortress | 7,5% |
| Grape sort | White Muscat |
| Region | Piedmont |
| Serving temperature | 6-8 ° C |
- relatively low price;
- great taste and aroma.
- may seem overly sweet.
“Gancia white sparkling wine will appeal to lovers of rich taste and sweetness, it goes well with dessert. The bottle is presentable and the quality of the drink is excellent, no alcohol or chemosis is felt. "
“All Asti champagne samples presented are made using the Sharmata-Martinotti method. The essence of the method is to carry out secondary fermentation of wine not in bottles, but in autoclaves - steel sealed containers. This allows us to speed up the process of making champagne and control its quality at large production volumes. ”
Martini
An incredibly light sparkling wine, not too sweet, with a subtle honey aroma and notes of vanilla ice cream in the aftertaste. It goes well with any desserts, fruit salads, as well as lean fish and seafood.
| Fortress | 7,5% |
| Grape sort | White Muscat |
| Region | Piedmont |
| Serving temperature | 5-8 ° C |
- moderate sweetness;
- wonderful aftertaste.
- not found.
"Fine!!! Very delicate and pleasant taste. Harmoniously selected bouquet of aromas. Plus, the extraordinary price of this wonderful drink is very pleasing. ”
Martini ice
Classic Martini Asti, but stronger, so it should be served with plenty of ice. Refreshing champagne with hints of apple and orange on the palate. It has an unobtrusive honey aroma with notes of pear. It goes well with sweet desserts and pastries, as well as any light snacks. Ideal for a hot summer day.
| Fortress | 8% |
| Grape sort | White Muscat |
| Region | Piedmont |
| Serving temperature | 6-8 ° C (with ice) |
- unsweetened, refreshes well;
- goes well with many dishes.
- high price;
- because of ice, it becomes heavily watered and loses its taste.
“The aroma of the wine is fresh and delicate, fruity and berry, and the aftertaste is long and pleasant. The wine is sweet and fresh at the same time, it is so wonderful that it will brighten any celebration. "
Mondoro
Sweet, viscous and full-bodied Asti, which is considered the best sparkling wine of this category in its homeland in Italy. The aroma is dominated by nutmeg grapes and honey notes. It goes well with fruits and not very sweet desserts.
| Fortress | 7,5% |
| Grape sort | Muscat of Alexandria |
| Region | Piedmont |
| Serving temperature | 6-8 ° C |
- recognized as the best wine in its category;
- rich, full-bodied taste.
- extremely pronounced aroma of muscat grapes;
- may seem overly sweet.
“Not a bad wine. Very aromatic, tasty, with hints of pear and peach. It retains its honey-floral aroma for a long time.The aftertaste is long and pleasant. The wine seemed too sweet to me, I think that a little sourness would add sophistication to the taste. "
“Asti champagne is really very sweet compared to other sparkling wines. This is due to the incomplete fermentation of sugar during its manufacture. Asti contains up to 90 grams of sugar per liter, so people with diabetes need to use it with caution. And those who follow the figure should remember that sweet champagne is quite high in calories. "
Cinzano
Delicate champagne Asti with a magnificent aroma of vanilla, sage and fruit. The taste reveals hints of pear, peach and aromatic herbs. Ideally complements any desserts, sweet pastries and ice cream sundaes.
| Fortress | 7% |
| Grape sort | White Muscat |
| Region | Piedmont |
| Serving temperature | 6-8 ° C |
- rich taste with moderate sweetness;
- long vanilla aftertaste;
- relatively low price.
- not found.
“Asti Cinzano is one of my favorite wines. Incredibly light, tasty, sweet, with fruity notes. It has a delicate aroma and almost no alcohol. I like it very much in combination with hard cheese. "
How to serve Asti champagne correctly?
The shape of the glass greatly influences the “play” of gas bubbles in champagne. Glasses with a pointed bottom allow the wine to foam more easily. Therefore, traditionally sparkling wine is served in narrow, tall elongated wine glasses. You should not serve champagne in glasses - "bowls", otherwise the wine bouquet will quickly dissipate. The only exception is champagne, which is served with ice (in our case, Martini Ice).
Sparkling wine must be cooled down to 6 - 9 ° C before drinking. When it comes to aged champagne, its serving temperature is higher - up to 12 ° C.
Asti champagne can be consumed not only in its pure form: on its basis, many cocktails have been invented that will perfectly diversify your menu. Asti goes especially well with fruit juices.
Tips for choosing Asti champagne
It is important to treat the purchase of any alcoholic beverages carefully and responsibly in order to purchase a really high-quality product that will not disappoint you.
A few tips to follow when choosing Asti Champagne:
- Give preference to wines with protected geographic appellations of origin. This indicates that the manufacturer adheres to the approved recipe and technological processes, which guarantees the quality of the product.
- Read the label carefully. An individual barcode, excise stamp, no mistakes in the brand name and accompanying information - all these are mandatory attributes of high-quality alcoholic beverages.
- Pay attention to the composition. Asti champagne should be free of flavorings and colorants. The only thing that sparkling wine can contain is sulfur dioxide, a natural preservative.
