Canelli

Canelli sits on a bend of the river Belbo in the Alto Monferrato, close to the Langhe, in vineyard country believed to be the birthplace of Asti sparkling wine. Carlo Gancia is believed to have made the first sparkling Asti here around 1870 after studying the Champagne method, and the Moscato grape still goes by the synonym Muscat Canelli. Beneath the town, 13 kilometres of cellars known as underground cathedrals hold millions of bottles at a constant 12 to 14 °C, and they are a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage status. The economy runs on sparkling wine and everything around it, from historic houses such as Gancia, Bosca and Contratto to makers of winemaking equipment.