Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese is a DOC of the Piedmont wine region in north-western Italy. This light-hued red was the second Monferrato-specific wine to be given its own DOC, awarded in 1973, just after Barbera del Monferrato. Grignolino is far from the most popular of Piedmontese grape varieties, and the wine almost never reaches the standards attained by the Nebbiolo and Barbera in their finest expressions.
The Grignolino grape variety from which Grignolino del Monferrato Casalse is made is unique to Piedmont, and is believed to have originated from the Monferrato hills here. Its natural tannins and acidity would suggest that the grape could rank alongside Piedmont's two most successful red varieties, Nebbiolo and Barbera, but this has not been the case. The lack of warmth and intrigue that Grignolino wines offer have relegated the variety to a back-up role, and it performs a similar function to Dolcetto: it is an interim wine to drink while the 'proper' wines are quietly developing in the barrel and bottle. If Grignolino had Dolcetto's depth or if Dolcetto had Grignolino's acidity, things might be quite different, but as it stands these two remain the poor cousins among Piedmont's red grapes.
The Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese DOC was created during a period of feverish administrative activity in the early 1970s, as Italy's authorities rushed to classify the nation's wines in a model based on the appellation system of neighboring France. At that time Grignolino was tipped to be to Barolo and Barbaresco what Beaujolais is to Burgundy, a light-hearted, affordable alternative to the region's more serious, expensive wines. Unfortunately the Grignolino bug has still not caught on in any of the world's wine markets. In 1994 the creation of the sub-regional Monferrato DOC, with its Monferrato Casalese sub-zone, provided a widespread DOC under which the area's Grignolino wines could also be made. As yet the Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese DOC has not been merged into this younger title, but the possibility remains open for the future.
The Piedmont region's other Grignolino-specific DOC is Grignolino d'Asti, whose viticultural area lies immediately to the south-west, around the town of Asti. The Grignolino d'Asti DOC was introduced in 1973, the year before Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese. Neither has seen success on international markets, but one day the fickle tide of consumer preference may well combine with the famous stubbornness of Piedmontese winemakers and create a Grignolino revival.
