Piemonte vineyards

The Etruscans were the first to produce wine in northern Italy; beginning with wild varieties, they cultivated vines in Piedmont centuries before the Romans arrived. Nevertheless, it was the Romans who advanced commercial winemaking, significantly increasing the area under vine and using props, trellises and ‘Greek presses’ to dependably supply the empire’s domestic and trading needs.

The Romans arrived in Piedmont during the 2nd century BC, establishing colonies in Eporedia, Derthona, and Augusta Taurinorum (Ivrea, Tortona, and Turin, respectively). These territories were strategically important—their locality to the Alps helped the Romans control northerly invaders. As was customary, the Romans settled and built roads, aqueducts, amphitheatres, bridges, and established towns and cities. They also planted vines but were not the first to do so here...