In terms of quantity the wine production of the Astesana is highly significant with more than 100 million bottles of wine per year, representing approximately 30% of Piedmont's DOC wines. It is therefore the most prolific of the 8 geographical areas which have contributed so much to Piedmont's wine history (Alto Monferrato, Monferrato, Colli Tortonesi, Langhe, Roero, Canavese and Carema, Gattinara, Ghemme and other nebbiolos in the north).

But the main feature of these wine hills is the qualitative excellence of their products, in an extensive range, covering the entire variety of gastronomic products: from brut sparkling wines to dry white wines, from light reds to those structured for ageing, with white and red aromatics, including raisin wines and concluding with distillates (especially grappas). An old tradition in wine production has also led to the invention in the Astesana of some special wines: for instance Asti is also famous for its 'Barolo chinato' (aromatised wine with the addition of alcohol), a technique that is also used today for Barbera wine.
Canelli is the city in which, some two hundred years ago, Italian sparkling wine was invented, especially the aromatic "Asti" sparkling wine (which is still today's leading Italian wine in the world, with approximately 80 million bottles produced every year). Among the dry sparkling wines one cannot fail to mention the very recent "Alta Langa" DOC, produced in the Langa Astigiana vineyards at an altitude of some 500 metres above sea level.
The most important wine in the Astesana (with 42 million bottles produced in 2001) is Barbera d'Asti, a red wine that is a sheer delight to the palate and highly ductile. There are younger and fresher types of Barbera, immediately ready to drink, but there is of course the classical type, full of vigour for up to 5-6 years. If the label bears the word "superiore" it means the Barbera d'Asti in question has enjoyed prolonged refinement in wooden casks (small or large) and in bottles to provide it with greater longevity.
From the 2000 harvest a Barbera d'Asti called "Nizza" is available, referring to a special area comprising Nizza Monferrato and another 15 Communes (Agliano, Bruno, Calamandrana, Castel Boglione, Castelnuovo Belbo, Castelnuovo Calcea, Castel Rocchero, Cortiglione, Fontanile, Incisa Scapaccino, Maranzana, Mombaruzzo, San Marzano Oliveto, Vaglio Serra, Vinchio).
Barbera d'Asti has been Piedmont's most successful red wine in recent years, a delight to knowledgeable consumers. This is a label that is experiencing strong enological and market competition. Every year there are wine-tasting and product comparison events held in the Astesana. The same vine has also given rise to other Doc wines: Barbera del Monferrato (younger, at times vivacious), Piemonte Barbera, Monferrato Rosso (a mixture of various types of grapes).
Other Astesana red wines include Dolcetto d'Asti, Freisa d'Asti, Grignolino d'Asti, Monferrato Dolcetto, Monferrato Freisa and Piemonte Grignolino whose commercial diffusion is for the most part directed at the Italian domestic market.
White Astesana wines include Cortese dell'Alto Monferrato, Monferrato, Piemonte Chardonnay, Piemonte Cortese.

The range of aromatics is extremely varied: first and foremost there is Moscato d'Asti, usually referred to as natural to distinguish it from Asti sparkling wine. This is made from the finest and most select grapes from the vine of the same name, which Astesana vine-dressers love to produce, often citing the name of the vineyard, as a rare product of high quality and sometimes harvested rather late. Moscato is also the vine used for Loazzolo, a special and expensive wine, produced only in the commune bearing the same name from raisin grapes (producing less than ten thousand small format bottles).
This area is also the home of Brachetto d'Acqui and Piemonte Brachetto, an aromatic red with a pale colour and light aroma, also produced as a sparkling wine.
A considerable amount of Novello wine (approximately 100,000 bottles) is also produced in the Astesana. This wine is ready for sale each year on 6 November, just a few weeks after the wine harvest, and bears the label 'Vino Novello Piemontese'.
In total there are 12 DOC and DOCG wines from the Astesana, though when the various typologies and sub-denominations are taken into account that number grows to some 47 types of wording on the labels: a testimony to an astonishing degree of speciality and bio-diversity of which the Astesana area is rightly proud.
Grappas and grape distillations are also an important Astesana tradition, with more than 5 distilleries active in the area. The main types of grappa are obtained using barbera and moscato marc, with selections subject to slow maturation in wooden casks and of excellent quality.