🍷 Asti method
A method in which sweet Muscat must ferments once in a tank and the fermentation is stopped.
The Asti method is a way of making sweet sparkling wine with a single fermentation. It is used for Italian Asti and Moscato d'Asti from Piedmont. The raw material is the must of white Muscat, a very aromatic grape.
The must is kept chilled so it does not start fermenting too early. It is then filled in small batches into a sealed steel tank under pressure. Fermentation happens only once, and the carbon dioxide stays in the wine. When alcohol reaches about 7–9%, the wine is chilled sharply and filtered, which stops fermentation. The unfermented sugar gives sweetness, and the fresh Muscat gives aromas of grape, peach and flowers.
The Asti method resembles the Charmat method, as both use sealed tanks. The difference is that with Charmat a finished wine ferments a second time, while here the must ferments only once. Moscato d'Asti is made the same way but stopped earlier, so it is lightly sparkling and about 5% alcohol.
How it connects to Wine
🍷 Asti method → → → 🗺️ Italian wine → kind of → 🗺️ Wines of Europe → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🍷 Charmat method
- Related to
- 🗺️ Italian wine
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Asti, 🍷 Moscato d'Asti
Frequently asked questions
Why is Asti so sweet?
Fermentation is stopped halfway, leaving a lot of grape sugar in the wine.
How does the Asti method differ from the Charmat method?
In the Asti method the must ferments once; in Charmat a finished wine ferments again.
How much alcohol is in Moscato d'Asti?
Usually about 5%, less than Asti and most wines.
What to read next
- 🗺️ Italian wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grape varieties, appellations.
- 🍷 Asti — Aromatic DOCG sparkling wine from Piedmont, at least 97% Moscato Bianco; mostly fermented in tanks, from pas dosé to dolce.
Similar
🍷 Transfer method · 🍷 Sforzato · 🍷 Continuous method · 🍷 Secondary fermentation · 🍷 Ripasso · 🍷 Charmat method