Cocco Wine Stories – Messages in a Bottle
Contemporary wine tells its own story in the village of Cocconato
About Cocco Wine Stories
A wine festival in the Monferrato hills
Cocco Wine Stories – Messages in a Bottle is the early May wine appointment in the town of Cocconato, in the Province of Asti, the heart of the Asti Monferrato Riviera. Organized by the Go Wine association together with the Consorzio Cocconato Riviera del Monferrato and the local municipality, the event transforms the village's historic center into a vast open-air tasting itinerary: glass in hand and tasting pouch around your neck, you can stroll through streets, squares, and courtyards, meeting producers and listening to their stories.
The theme: messages in a bottle
The title is no coincidence. The idea is to turn wine into a narrative: every bottle carries a message made of terroir, agronomic choices, and vision. For this reason, the participating wineries are grouped into five thematic areas, each with its own dedicated wine shop, mapping out the most current trends in the wine landscape:
- Young winemakers — the new generation of producers and their interpretations;
- Resistant grape varieties (PIWI) — sustainable viticulture and low-impact varieties;
- No wood — wines aged without the use of barriques;
- Orange wine — white wines macerated on the skins, with natural fermentation;
- Nebbiolo between Cocconato and Albugnano — the great red wine of these hills.
Tastings, masterclasses, and gastronomy
In addition to the widespread tasting counters, the day includes in-depth masterclasses led by oenologists and winemakers, dedicated to resistant grape varieties and the bond between Barbera and hazelnuts, the symbolic product of these lands. Along the route, there is no shortage of refreshment points and local gastronomic offerings, allowing you to pair wines with local flavors. The inauguration is traditionally held in the evocative courtyard of Casa Fasoglio, on Via Roma.
Why it's worth it
Cocconato is one of the most characteristic villages of the Asti Monferrato, an area recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its vineyard landscapes. Cocco Wine Stories is the ideal opportunity to discover it during a festive day, combining a passion for wine with the beauty of a historic center that becomes an open-air winery. An event designed both for expert enthusiasts and for those who want to approach the world of contemporary wines with curiosity.
Cocco Wine Stories — edition 2026
The second edition of Cocco Wine Stories – Messages in a Bottle brought the historic center of Cocconato to life on Friday, May 1st, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM. The event, organized by Go Wine with the Consorzio Cocconato Riviera del Monferrato and the Municipality, confirmed itself as a widespread tasting route through the village streets, organized into five thematic areas dedicated to contemporary wine.
Among the territories represented, alongside those of the Monferrato and Albugnano, were wineries from other Italian regions, particularly in the area dedicated to orange wines. The day was completed by masterclasses and direct meetings with the producers.
Programme Cocco Wine Stories 2026
Friday, May 1st, 2026
- 11:00 AM — Official opening in the courtyard of Casa Fasoglio (Via Roma), with greetings from Mayor Monica Marello, Davide Gasperini (President of the Enoteca Regionale dell'Albugnano), Adriano Cavallito (President of the Consortium), and oenologist Luigi Dezzani.
- 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM — Widespread tasting counters in the historic center, with five thematic wine shops: young winemakers, resistant grape varieties (PIWI), no wood, orange wine, and Nebbiolo between Cocconato and Albugnano.
Masterclasses
- Masterclass on resistant grape varieties / PIWI: focus on the spread of these varieties in Piedmont and Italy.
- Cocco…Wine Stories: the relationship between Barbera and hazelnuts told by local winemakers.
Wineries present (selection)
Participating companies included: Azienda Agricola Crosio (Cerrina Monferrato), Tenuta Genevrina, Bava, Cantina Nicola Federico, Roggero (Albugnano), and in the orange wine area: BioVio, Castello di Grumello, Polvanera, Conti Zecca, Fattoria dei Barbi, Keber Renato, Fattoria Lavacchio, and Filippo Gallino.
Refreshment points and local gastronomic offerings were available along the route.
Highlights Cocco Wine Stories 2026
- Five thematic wine shops dedicated to new wine trends.
- Inauguration in the courtyard of Casa Fasoglio with authorities and producers.
- Masterclasses on resistant grape varieties and the bond between Barbera and hazelnuts.
- Wineries from Monferrato, Albugnano, and various Italian regions.
Prices Cocco Wine Stories 2026
Practical information — Cocco Wine Stories
How to get there
Cocconato is located in the Province of Asti, in the Monferrato hills. By car, it can be reached from the A21 Turin-Piacenza motorway (Asti Est or Villanova d'Asti exit) and from the state road connecting Asti to Chivasso. The nearest train station is Cocconato, on the Asti-Chivasso line.
Opening hours
The event takes place from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM in the village's historic center.
Tastings
Access to the tasting counters is via a tasting card including a glass and pouch. Masterclasses have limited seating and booking is recommended. For information: tel. +39 0173 364631, e-mail [email protected].
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Where does it take place — Cocco Wine Stories
Centro storico di Cocconato