The Wines of Piemonte

Buongiorno!

This is Red here and I'm finally getting around to posting about all things wine. My goal is to post about the unique wines from each region we visit in Europe.

We recently finished our tour of the Piedmont region, home to some of Italy's most prestigious wines. Looking at a map this region is somewhere between Turin and the Mediterranean Sea in Northwestern italy. The towns of Alba and Asti nestled in the Langhe Hills form the heart of the Piedmont wine region. Vines absolutely dominate the landscape here. There is no comparison in the U.S. -- all the hillsides around Alba, Asti, Barbaresco, and Barolo are covered by vines. The vines are neatly tended creating a manicured and dramatically beautiful landscape. On clear days you can see the Alps looming over the vineyards of Piedmont. 

The cream of the Italian red wine crop includes two distinct appellations right outside of Alba: Barolo and Barbaresco. Nowhere else in the world does the finicky and difficult Nebbiolo grape achieve the greatness it does in these two small areas. Barolo and Barbersco wines are each made from 100% Nebbiolo and are subject to strict quality controls making them a luxury item compared with the other red wines of the region, Barbera and Dolcetto. Some have described a good Barolo as “tar and roses” due it’s delicate floral smell with hints of tobacco and leather. These wines have great aging potential due to their high tannins (dry mouth feel). They tend to go well with hearty beef dishes (or the local veal carpaccio) much like a good Napa Cab or Bordeaux, however the color is much lighter than cabernet. Think Pinot Noir with and old school Italian gangster crustiness that pairs well with dried meats.

At their best, Barbera and Dolcetto are both fruity but inky dark wines which are seriously underrated in the U.S. They go well with almost any pizza, pasta or Italian dish and are a stable dinner companion for locals around Alba. Barbera has the same acidity as a tomato making it a natural choice for Italian cooking. The grape is supposedly similar to the Mourvedre/Mataro grape used widely in Southern France and Spain, which helps explain why we are so found of it. 

Becuase Nebbiolo grapes fetch the highest price, especially in the cases of Barolo and Barberseco, the best land around Alba is allocated to Nebbiolo. Most locals don’t drink Barolo and Barbersco beucase they are too pricey. Instead you tend to see Italians drinking generic Nebbiolo D’Alba or Dolcetto which has spent little to no time in “barriques” or oak barrels. You can purchase a delicious and fruity Dolcetto or Nebbiolo for about 5 Euro at a restaurant or 2.50 Euro at a grocery store while low end Barolo and Barbersco fetch about 16 and 12 Euro, respectively.

The name Dolcetto means “little sweet one” in Italian which is an unfortunate misnomer for this fruity but undeniably dry red wine.  Dolcetto seems to be the go-to grape for fast turn around table wine in this region. I’ve seen a lot of 2008 Dolcetto in the grocery stores and we did try one at a pizzeria and were very satisfied. Kind of a shame though. I think Dolcetto deserves at least a little time in oak to mature it’s earthy mushroom and dark fruit flavors before it hits the public. 

We were told by our Innkeeper to avoid Barolo becuase the people there don't like the recent influx of wine tourism and that they were a “frustrated town.” He advised us instead to focus on tasting in Barberseco where people where more friendly. We in fact found the exact opposite to be true. Warm reception at vineyards in Barolo and no reception/no service at the producers guild in Barberesco. Plus, the hillsides of Barolo are steeper and more picturesque.

We enjoyed almost all the wines we tried in Piedmont. We want to advocate Nebbiolo back in the states beucase we are convinced it deserves a seat at the table with the other "noble" red grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. Interestingly the best wine we had here and still the best I’ve tasted in Italy so far (we are now in the Chianti area) was this Barbera d’Asti from Ca' Di Pian. 

Pencil shavings, prune juice, black cherry and velvety mouthfeel...perfect companion to Gnocchi and White Truffle Sauce.  Asti has long been known for it's white sparkling wine, Asti Spumante, but the Barberas we tasted from Asti were truly top notch and better than those from Alba. Could this have something to do with the fact that the best land in Alba is all planted with Nebbiolo grapes?

Cheers, 

Red

Comments

[John Karr]

Thanks for all of the information Red. I needed a nap catalyst and your entry did the trick.

Next time, I'd appreciate hearing about the ladyboy encounters and cool new drugs you are trying.

Katui