There is a new recipe that tells the story of Piedmont through a single glass. Its name is Asti Vibes and it is the major new development of 2026 for the world of Italian mixology. The new cocktail is born from the meeting of two of the region’s most representative excellences, Asti Spumante DOCG and Vermouth di Torino PGI, with the aim of creating new consumption occasions and appealing to a generation of consumers increasingly attracted to light, elegant and identity-driven drinks.
Presented on 12 June at One in Turin before more than two hundred figures from the agrifood, restaurant and commercial sectors of Piedmont, Asti Vibes represents much more than a simple recipe. It is the result of the collaboration between the Piedmont Region, the Asti DOCG Consortium and the Vermouth di Torino PGI Consortium, and becomes the new ambassador of the “PiemonteIS – Eccellenza Piemonte” brand in the world of mixology. Above all, it confirms a transformation that has been underway for some time: that of Asti DOCG, increasingly becoming a protagonist of the contemporary aperitif and international cocktail culture.
From UNESCO Hills to the Glass: The Identity of Asti DOCG
Before becoming an ingredient for mixology, Asti DOCG is one of the great interpreters of the Piedmont territory.
It is born in the areas of Langhe, Roero and Monferrato, a landscape recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014 as the first Italian wine-growing landscape included on the World Heritage List. Here, across 51 municipalities distributed among the provinces of Asti, Alessandria and Cuneo, approximately 10,000 hectares of Moscato Bianco create a mosaic of hills where viticulture remains deeply linked to manual labour, especially in the famous Sorì, the steepest slopes.
It is precisely Moscato Bianco, considered the noblest variety of the Muscat family, that gives life to the two souls of the denomination: Moscato d’Asti and Asti Spumante.
The former wins over consumers with its low alcohol content, delicate effervescence and notes of acacia, honey and sage. The latter has for decades represented one of the most widely known Italian sparkling wines in the world, thanks to its fine perlage, intense aromas of citrus, flowers and fruit, and a natural balance between freshness and sweetness.
Asti DOCG: From Dessert Tradition to the Aperitif Revolution
For many consumers, Asti DOCG has long been identified as the wine of celebrations and desserts. A correct definition, but today a decidedly limiting one.
In recent years, the denomination has demonstrated remarkable versatility, progressively conquering the world of mixology thanks to the characteristics increasingly sought by contemporary consumers: moderate alcohol content, natural aromaticity, freshness and an extraordinary ability to interact with very different ingredients.
This evolution has given rise to cocktails such as Asti Signature, combining basil, pink grapefruit and Sichuan pepper; Asti Gold, built around the dialogue between Asti DOCG, white Vermouth, white Bitter and an orange slice; Moscato Zen with elderflower, lime and ginger; Moschjto Mint & Lime, paired with rum and mint; and Autumn, where apple tea and cinnamon blend with the aromatic notes of Asti Spumante Dolce.
A journey that now finds its natural culmination in Asti Vibes.
Asti Vibes: Two Piedmontese Excellences in a Single Cocktail
The name itself already encapsulates the meaning of the project. On one side are the UNESCO-listed hills where Asti DOCG is born; on the other, Turin, the city that gave birth to Vermouth. Even the logo recalls this encounter through the bubbles of Asti DOCG and the Artemisia leaf, the symbol of Vermouth di Torino PGI.
The idea was born almost by chance during the Sanremo Festival last February, when the Piedmont Region was promoting its agrifood excellences.
“The idea of bringing together these two Piedmontese excellences in the Asti Vibes cocktail was born almost by chance last February in Sanremo during the days of the Festival, where Piedmont was present with a promotional initiative for its agrifood products,” said Paolo Bongioanni, Regional Councillor for Commerce, Agriculture and Tourism of Piedmont.
The objective goes far beyond the simple launch of a new drink.
“At every international mission in which the Region participates, most recently Hong Kong and Vilnius, discussions with buyers from every corner of the planet confirm that the key that opens the door to our agrifood sector is always our wines. Even more so in this period of global geopolitical and economic uncertainty, we must seek new markets and ensure that Piedmont becomes and is increasingly perceived as an international territory. The production of Asti DOCG is now exported almost entirely, and this new cocktail also aims to support its promotion in Italy and abroad.”
The Cocktail Looking to New Generations
Asti Vibes was created within the framework of the regional campaign “PiemonteIS – Eccellenza Piemonte”, following the recognition of Asti DOCG as the Piedmont Region’s “Wine of the Year 2026.”
The new cocktail has been conceived as the contemporary face of the denomination within the mixology sector, a category that continues to grow and is increasingly aligned with the tastes of younger generations.
“Asti Vibes is much more than a cocktail: it is the symbol of a collaboration that looks to the future and brings together our consortium, the Vermouth di Torino Consortium and the Piedmont Region in promoting two territorial excellences through a fresh, contemporary proposal attentive to the tastes of new consumers. Today it is essential to know how to interpret evolving habits, creating new opportunities for engagement without losing the connection with our identity. Mixology therefore offers us the opportunity to place our denomination within different and complementary consumption occasions to traditional ones, demonstrating versatility and the ability to engage with new trends,” declared Stefano Ricagno, President of the Asti DOCG Consortium.
Asti Vibes: The Recipe Created by Giorgio Facchinetti
Asti Vibes was created by Giorgio Facchinetti, flair bartender and ambassador of the Asti DOCG Consortium, who has long been a leading figure in Italian mixology.
The adjectives chosen to describe the new drink tell its character well: cheerful, fresh, elegant and exciting. But also simple to prepare and easy to recreate at home.
The recipe focuses on balance: Asti Spumante Dolce, with its floral aromas and natural freshness, meets the character of Vermouth di Torino PGI. Completing the drink are a splash of tonic water, a few drops of Peychaud’s Bitter, which give the cocktail a delicate pink hue and a refined aromatic note, and a thin slice of lemon.
The result is a fresh, balanced cocktail with a strong personality, designed to accompany aperitifs, after-dinner moments on summer evenings and, more generally, all occasions of conviviality.
A New Ambassador of Piedmont Around the World
The symbolic value of the project is also highlighted by Sara Sacco Botto, Director of the Vermouth di Torino PGI Consortium.
“This new cocktail was created to celebrate the meeting of two Piedmontese excellences: Asti Spumante DOCG and Vermouth di Torino PGI. It is a great honour to be part of the project, a combination of two excellences and creativity united in an elegant and refined cocktail that offers a contemporary interpretation of two traditions of our territories, designed to intrigue and win over a young audience.”
This is precisely the strength of Asti Vibes. Not simply reinterpreting a recipe, but telling a new image of Piedmont through two products that have always represented its history. A cocktail that looks to international markets without renouncing its roots and that demonstrates how Asti DOCG continues to reinvent itself while remaining faithful to its identity.
A toast to the future that speaks with a Piedmontese voice, but in a language capable of being understood everywhere.
