Paolo Massobrio's Monferrato

Paolo Massobrio what does Monferrato to you ?

It is my life, the dream. It was the place where my parents used to take me as a child because they were from there, but they had been in Milan to work and I was living the rural civilisation.

When I got older, I began to discover Monferrato.. village by village… by bicycle. For us, Monferrato is discovering the history of Aleramo, it is going to Graziano Badoglio to see these villages. As you discover the history, you also see the genius loci of Monferrato, which very often is around a castle. This is the Italian region with most castles.

Since I was a little boy I have travelled around all the castles of Monferrato. It is a passion that I have inside and one that I have wanted to express in these years by organising Golosaria among the castles of Monferrato that has been a way to systemise Monferrato.

What are the good things about Monferrato ?

There are so many. For example, the sumptuous dish of Monferrato is the rabbit made in various ways and the agnolotti. The agnolotti del Monferrato are not like the agnolotti del plin, small, bellied and full of substance.

Monferrato also means bagna cauda, absolutely no cream, no butter.  It is precisely the bagna cauda of the past, which was a moment of companionship, improvised with whatever was available in the vegetable garden.

It means wine, it means Grignolino, which is an extraordinary wine, and it is our great Pinot Nero. Monferrato is like Burgundy, it was once part of this area that also included France, Monferrato. Anna d’Alencon is a French name.

Grignolino has a very long life. Nobody believes that we tasted one of 1978 at Golosaria last year. It is a symbol of Monferrato, like Barbera Monferrato, like everything that grows on these fantastic hills.

I believe that for Expo 2015, the discovery alone of the villages and of the view that the horizon of Monferrato gives is truly amazing. I am convinced that many will come and we will do everything we can to make that happen.