Grignolino is a variety with ancient origins, popular in the past under the name of Barbesino or Barbexino. This is how it is referred to in an ancient deed from 1246, in which canons from the church of Sant'Evasio stated their wish to rent out: 'four bushels of uncultivated land, to be worked and planted with good Berbesino vines.'
Grignolino is a black grape variety, mainly grown around Asti (in 35 municipalities) and in Monferrato Casalese (in 34 municipalities in the province of Alessandria).
In the mouth, the wine persists well and has a middling structure. It's distinguished by its perfect balance of body and acidity and by a pleasant almondy finish. The blend of grape varieties in the wine is 90% Grignolino and 10% Freisa. The Grignolino d’Asti vine is often grown on partly sandy soil, while the Monferrato Casalese vine is mainly found on compact, marly calcareous soil, rich in limestone.
Every year, over the penultimate weekend in May, the Monferrato Casalese region is tinged with 'Grignolino red' for the 'Di Grignolino in Grignolino' ('from Grignolino to Grignolino') festival, devoted to rediscovering the tradition behind this native vine, one of the most 'anarchic and curious' vines of Monferrato. The two days are spent tasting wine in the wineries, castles and traditional infernot, the hand-carved stone cellars that have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014. It's an event not to be missed.
Red is also the colour of the festival's cover image, conceived and designed by the renowned cartoonist, cartoonist and film director Sergio Staino. The event is promoted in partnership with the food and wine associations Condotta Slow Food del Monferrato Casalese e Moncalvese and Consorzio dei Vini Colline del Monferrato Casalese.
To honour this big event, we provide here a route for all seasons, that will let you really get to know the areas where this fine wine is made. And perhaps, along the way, you might want to take a break and have a taste yourself in one of the many local wineries in or around the villages on the route.
The route encompasses more than a third of the municipalities of the area where Grignolino is made and aims to represent the different areas: to the north-west, the Cerrina valley, the high hills of Crea and their surroundings;  to the north-east, the Ghenza valley and, below, the Rotaldo valley;  to the south, the belt of villages bordering the Asti area.
Start in Alfiano Natta, a town in the south adjacent to the Asti region. Here, you can ride your mountain bike on the short trail Sentiero dei Colli Pietrosi (6.5 km), sign-posted 'no. 737' by CAI with red-white-red marks. From Piazza Vittorio Emanuele III, also known as Piazza del Gatto ('cat square') after the fountain of the same name, go towards the village of Cardona. 5 km from your starting point begins the climb to the village of Villadeati, where you enter the Cerrina valley. Once you're out of the village, the ascent continues on the scenic Lussello-Villadeati road until you reach the highest point on this tour, at 409 m (9.5 km from the starting point).
Descend to the foot of the hill under Odalengo Piccolo and go up to the village. After reaching the top you will arrive, over some ups and downs, in Guazzolo. Leave this small residential area and go down to the SP 13, then climb again towards the main town, Castelletto Merli. Along the ridge of the hills, on scenic roads, you reach Ponzano Monferrato. Continue towards Sacro Monte di Crea, located on a very scenic hill. After a steep drop that passes through the villages of Forneglio and Madonnina, you reach the bottom of the valley, where you follow the signs for Ozzano Monferrato.  As soon as you have left the residential area and you are on the SP 457, turn right towards Cereseto, recognisable by its large neo-Gothic castle. Don't enter the village, but turn left towards the valley that leads to Sala Monferrato; it's only a brief uphill stretch away and it won't take you long to reach the top in an easy gear.
A brief descent and then, following the signs for Casale Monferrato, you're back pedalling uphill towards the gates of Ozzano Monferrato. With San Giorgio Monferrato and Casale Monferrato, this village is representative of the municipalities to the north of the region where Grignolino is produced. Follow the signs for Rosignano Monferrato and you'll soon reach the village of Cella Monte, where you descend to the Genza valley. Once you have crossed the so-called 'white truffle valley', go up to Frassinello Monferrato and then turn immediately right towards Olivola, where a pleasant descent takes you to Ottiglio. Leave the Rotaldo valley, which borders Vignale Monferrato, Camagna Monferrato and Conzano, and climb towards Grazzano Badoglio and then Moncalvo, towns already within the province of Asti. After the hill of Moncalvo, swiftly descend towards the end of the tour, back in Alfiano Natta, first in the alphabet in the world of Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese.