Chardonnay is not, as many believe, a recent introduction to Piedmont. This grape has been present in the region since the first half of the 1800s, thanks to Filippo Asinari, Count of San Marzano and Costigliole and an important political-military figure. Upon his return from France, where he collaborated side-by-side with Napoleon, he brought home several vines of Chardonnay from the famous vineyards of Montrachet with plans to cultivate them in Costigliole. Chardonnay still grows in Piedmont today because the combination of the soil and microclimate is well suited to this variety, allowing it to take root and flourish.