The Asti DOCG Consortium opens up to the first experimentation with Piwi aromatic grape varieties

The Asti DOCG Consortium is launching the first experiment in Piedmont on the viticultural and oenological potential of aromatic grape varieties resistant to major fungal diseases, known as Piwi. This experimental project was developed in collaboration with the Istituto di Istruzione Superiore Umberto I in Alba and involves the following research activities: Moscato Bianco will be cultivated as the reference variety in two different fields (one owned by the school and one owned by a company belonging to the Consortium) and will be gradually joined by selected resistant varieties. The first to be introduced will be Muscaris. Then, starting in 2026 and continuing for three years, weekly phenological surveys (from sprouting to leaf fall), production analyses (flowering fertility, average production per vine, and average bunch weight), and phytosanitary surveys will be carried out to monitor resistance to downy mildew, powdery mildew, botrytis, infectious yellows, and phytoplasmosis. Each variety will be tested on 50 grafted plants, with annual updates of the technical data sheets and experimental planimetry.
“Climate change is forcing us to rethink our entire production approach, including in our sector”, comments Stefano Ricagno, president of the Asti DOCG Consortium. “In Piedmont, resistant aromatic varieties had never been studied before, so we decided to actively participate in this project, sharing our know-how on the Moscato Bianco grape variety. Only through research can we identify innovative technical solutions for increasingly advanced and sustainable viticulture”.
After studies and analyses, winemaking will also be carried out according to a standard protocol for still white wine, in order to evaluate the organoleptic characteristics of the varieties being tested. At that point, at the end of the project and based on the results obtained, it will also be possible to submit an application for the registration of resistant aromatic vines among those authorized for cultivation in Piedmont.