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Brachetto d’Aqui: pleasant red bubbles

A small charming area of 1000 hectares of vines where there is the production of enjoyable, spirited, lighthearted and flavourful with a natural delight sweetness and a low content of alcohol. The best bubbles to enjoy in social occasion

by Duccio Morozzo della Rocca

A small charming area of 1000 hectares of vines stretching from Acqui Terme to Nizza Monferrato, in Piedmont region, offers a surprising range of variations of a product, the Brachetto, a wine which has left its mark over the centuries.
The legend tells how in Roman times, first Julius Caesar followed then by Mark Antony, sent many wineskins of the Vinum Acquense to Egypt and to the court of the famously beautiful Cleopatra before their arrival, which the queen is said to have used generously to rekindle the passion of her legendary lovers.
This is the first of a long chain of connections across history, land and wine characteristics that seems to link the Vinum Acquense to today’s Brachetto wine, which appears to be its true descendant, as it was already present in Acqui Terme and its surroundings in those times.
Any how it is only in1922 that we can find his first official definition, when Garino Canina finally gave a true scientific classification: “... In the family of fine wines Brachetto belongs to the category of sweet, aromatic red wines. It has a very distinctive bouquet, a moderate alcohol and sugar content, and a pale colour. It is most frequently enjoyed in its bubbly or sparkling version…”
Unfortunately, after World War II, the “phylloxera plague” devastated the vineyards. When the time came to replant the vines, the winegrowers chose other varieties, with greater market appeal, instead of Brachetto, which required special care and attention. Therefore Brachetto fell into oblivion.
Around the 1950s, on the hills of southern Piedmont, where niche production had continued to serve a few connoisseurs, a tradition-loving, farsighted producer named Arturo Bersano developed a pressure tank-processed style of sparkling Brachetto according to the Charmat method. From then on, Brachetto has perpetuated its fame as a protagonist among the great aromatic wines, recognizable for its unique characteristics and much appreciated by the most refined palates.

Brachetto d’Acqui Docg wines
Anyone tasting Brachetto is inevitably struck by the explosive sensuality of its aromatic notes, its floral nose and unique aroma. To be fully appreciated, it is important to remember that this wine must be served young, in its first two years of life.
We can find Brachetto in both spumante and straight cork versions, exclusively from 100% Brachetto grapes.
Enjoyable, spirited, lighthearted and flavourful, Brachetto d’Acqui develops beautiful crimson or ruby shades with purple hues. His bead is fine and persistent: this is the wine of seduction and joy, appreciated on every occasion for its bouquet of ripe fruit and sensual Bulgarian roses, and, at the same time, its heady fragrance and soft texture. Moreover it can be enjoyed without fear of excess, thanks to its moderate alcohol content in between 5.5 and 7% vol.

To enjoy at best the Brachetto d’Acqui Docg it should be served chilled, at a temperature of 8°C - 12°C, in wide glasses that let the drinker fully appreciate the development of the wine’s bouquet.

The true excellence of a great territory
Brachetto d’Acqui’s quality comes from the vineyards. However, since this is a sweet, aromatic wine, winemaking techniques are also essential to preserve the grapes’ elegant scent.
Usually, after a carefully harvest, the must is allowed to macerate on the skins for only 2 to 3 days, thus resulting in a limited actual alcohol content (up to 1.5-2%).
In this way, a deep pink colour is obtained, thanks to the time spent in contact with anthocyanin-rich skins. The pressing technique is fundamental to the final result: “soft” is the byword nowadays.
Right after pressing, Brachetto is centrifuged and/or filtered and chilled.



The Consortium
The Consortium for the Protection of Acqui Wines was founded in 1992 in Acqui Terme, with the aim of controlling and regulating the development of this market, and to protect the wines’ territory, by planning production carefully and actively promoting marketing efforts and value perception on global markets.
The Consortium was the main promoter of Brachetto d’Acqui’s application for DOCG status (Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin), which was obtained in 1996.
All the bottle lots are subjected to a check tasting before they are granted the neckband bearing the watermarked serial numbers that attest to their origin, as well as scrupulous checks and tests carried out by the Consortium, which plans and incentivizes the circulation of this product through promotion and value enhancement efforts on all markets worldwide.

Pairing Brachetto Docg
Brachetto d’Acqui Docg, sparkling or still, is a perfect match for sweet and savoury dishes. The sparkling version provides an ideal aperitif, long drink or happy hour beverage. Certainly, in any version, it makes for a truly surprising accompaniment for slightly underripe brushwood fruit, exalting the taste of strawberries and peaches in particular. Excellent with dried fruit, such as walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, and figs, it is ideal with its most traditional yet not banal pairing, dessert, or makes for a delightful accompaniment to a sweet mid-afternoon snack.

by Duccio Morozzo della Rocca
05 July 2010 Teatro Naturale International n. 7 Year 2

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