Asti is located in Piedmont region of north west of Italy, and it is a DOCG region. DOCG is the best classification of Italian wines, and others are DOC, IGT and VDT. In Asti, the most common white grape is Muscat (Moscato Bianco). Wine makers there use it to make the beautiful Moscato d’Asti and Asti Spumante, and the later one is the most renowned wine from this region. Besides of white, Asti also have excellent red wines made by Barbera variety.

Asti 位在義大利西北方 Pedmont 區內，而且是一個 DOCG 法定產區。在義大利葡萄酒的分級制度內，DOCG 是最好的評級，除此之外是DOC, IGT, VDT分級。在 Asti 最常見的白葡萄品種是 Muscat (Moscato Bianco, 麝香葡萄)，而釀酒師拿這種葡萄釀造了 Moscato d’Asti 和 Asti Spumante 這兩款美味的佳釀。其中後者更是 Asti 產區聞名世界的酒種。除了白葡萄之外，Asti 產區利用 Barbera 品種所釀造的紅葡萄酒也是非常的棒。

Moscato d’Asti 是個低酒精度的酒類，經常伴隨有荔枝與甜桃的香氣（特別是前者）。除此之外，在飲用時也會帶來氣泡與微甜的口感。釀酒的過程基本上與一般釀製白酒差不多，但釀酒師會提前中斷發酵的過程來保持糖度。也因此造成低酒精與二氧化碳氣泡口感。這類酒在 Asti 產區就差不多像是台灣的啤酒一樣，是被當作日常飲用的酒類。

之前喝過 2008 Ceretto I Vignaioli di Santo Stefano Moscato d’Asti DOCG 和 2008 Batasiolo BOSC Dla Rei Moscato d’Asti DOCG，兩著都帶來荔枝與淡淡的甜桃味道。而前者個微氣泡口感比較細緻，同時香氣延續較久。後者我喝過兩次，不過兩次的瓶塞都還蠻爛的就是。

Moscato d’Asti is a low alchol wine, and usually has litchi and peach flavors, especially the former. Besides, it also usually brings a sparkling and light sweet mouthfeel. The wine making process is almost the same to making white wines, but wine makers stop the fermantation process eariler to keep the sugar sweet. This also results in low alchol (usually < 8%) and carbon dioxide bubbles. This wine is very common in Asti, and people in Asti drink it just like Taiwanese drink beers.

I had tasted 2008 Ceretto I Vignaioli di Santo Stefano Moscato d’Asti DOCG and 2008 Batasiolo BOSC Dla Rei Moscato d'Asti DOCG before, and both wines give me the litchi and light peach flavors. The former one also brings more smoother sparkling and the flavor lasts longer. BTW, I drank the later one twice, but both the two bottles have terrible cork.

Spumante 意指「氣泡」，所以照字面上就是 Asti 的氣泡酒。基本上這種酒跟前面的 Moscato d’Asti 差不多，唯一的差別就是 Asti Spumante 是正式的氣泡酒。既然是個正式的氣泡酒，所以釀製過程當中也會有二次發酵的過程，這應該是兩者之間最大的差別。

之前在 Costco 買過 Giulio Cocchi Spumanti Srl 的 L’Asti Docg Cocchi，以氣泡酒的標準來衡量的話，它氣泡有點太粗，延續性也不是太好，但是三百多塊的價格真的是喝得開心又經濟實惠。

Spumante means “bubbling”, so this kind of wine means a sparkling wine from Asti region. The wine making process of Asti spumante is basically almost the same to Moscato d’Asti. But, this wine is a “sparkling”, so it need dosage to perform the second fermentation.

I had bought L’Asti Docg Cocchi (made by Giulio Cocchi Spumanti Srl) from Costco. If we judge this wine as a sparkling strickly, the bubbles are too rough and large, and lasting not so long. However, it is economic and can bring you joyful hours with its NT$3xx price.