The true excellence of an ideal 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.
To begin with, the area of origin and the method of tending the vines are essential.
Grapes are harvested when they reach the ideal degree of ripeness; to ensure the best bouquet and aroma, generally in the first week of September.
Grape selection in the vineyard is a priority, as is fast transportation to the winery, where processing starts immediately. Transportation in crates provides the best quality results.

Winemaking
Usually, 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.
Today’s modern centrifugation systems provide the best result with minimum product impact in terms of air contact and/or possible flavour loss.
As for filtration, vacuum or diatom filters are commonly used to best maintain the wine’s quality.
The Brachetto must – or wine – is then stored in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The resulting product is enjoyable on the nose, with a sweet and very harmonious taste. Geraniol is the characteristic terpene of this grape variety, associated with a recognizable perception descriptor: roses.

How Spumante is made
Brachetto d’Acqui is marketed in two different versions: sparkling and still (or slightly fizzy).
As a spumante (or sparkling wine), Brachetto bottles must have a minimum legal overpressure of 3.5 bars at the time of uncorking. Such pressure results from the second fermentation of natural or added sugars by selected yeasts.
There are various ways of producing sparkling wines. Because Brachetto d’Acqui is an aromatic wine with DOCG status (Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin), the commonly used method is the Martinotti-Charmat method, also known as the pressure-tank technique.
The base wine, after appropriate fining and filtering, is placed in pressure tanks with the addition of sugar, yeasts and nutrients. The second fermentation process takes 30 days to complete.
Counterpressure bottling is then used to keep the pressure in the bottle; packaging and boxing complete the process in the winery. Today, maximum attention is paid to these final steps, and high quality packaging materials are used to enhance the image and prestige of both the product and the producer.