Three Things I Learned On My Recent Wine Tasting Trip to Piedmont
Mrs. Wine Guy and I just got back from tasting wine in the Piedmont region of Italy (North West Italy). Beautiful part of the world with outstanding wine They are known for Nebbiolo especially from Barolo and Barbaresco, Barbara, Dolcetto, and Moscato D'Asti. If you get a chance go you will not regret it.
Three things I learned:
#1: Not all Barolo is created equal.
There are 11 sub-regions in Barolo. Four of them (Cherasco, Verduno, Roddi and La Morra) have primarily sandy soil. These tend to be aged in large neutral barrels so oak is not as apparent. Barolo from this area is fruitier, less tannic, and less complex than other sub-regions. These are the areas that traditionalists believe produce the most accurate expression of what Barolo should be.
Another two sub-regions, Barolo and Novello, are grown in soil that is a combination of clay and sand. They provide a more balance between fruit and tannin and are more complex than the wines grown in only sandy soil.
The last 5 sub-regions Castiglione Falletto, Grinzane Cavour, Monforte d'Alba, Diano d'Alba, and Serralunga d'Alba are grown in predominantly clay sail. Producers in these areas also tend to use smaller oak barrels, many of them new, and by doing that they allow oak to have greater influence in the taste of the wine. All of this combines to produce a more Tannic, complex, and age worthy wines. These are my favorites particularly the ones from Serralunga d'Alba.
#2 Not all Barbara is created equal.
The two most prominent areas for growing Barbara are Barbara D'Asti, and Barbara D'Alba. The biggest cash crop in the area that Barbara D'Alba is grown is not Barbara but Nebbiolo used to produce Barolo. As a result the Nebbiolo gets the prime south facing vineyard locations, and the Barbara gets the less desirable vineyard locations that are left over. In the area Barbara D'Asti is grown it is the cash crop. As a result it gets all of the prime vineyard positions so you have a better shot at getting top quality wines. Does this mean you should avoid Barbara D'Alba? Not at all!! Because Barbara D'Alba is generally grown by wineries that also produce Barolo they tend to be bigger and bolder and less fruitier than Barbara D'Asti. The one you should select depends on what you are in the mood for and what food you are having with your wine. With lighter red sauce dishes I would go with the D'Asti, with meals that incorporate a significant amount of meat I would go with the D'Alba.
#3 Don't overlook the white wines from the region.
We tasted Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc's from the area and they were outstanding. Only issue is they are produced in limited quantities and are hard to find outside of the area. If you find one scoop it up you will be pleasantly surprised. If you are looking for a nice crisp wine with great acidity to to go with salad or sea food try Gavi or Roero/Arneis.
Three things I learned:
#1: Not all Barolo is created equal.
There are 11 sub-regions in Barolo. Four of them (Cherasco, Verduno, Roddi and La Morra) have primarily sandy soil. These tend to be aged in large neutral barrels so oak is not as apparent. Barolo from this area is fruitier, less tannic, and less complex than other sub-regions. These are the areas that traditionalists believe produce the most accurate expression of what Barolo should be. Another two sub-regions, Barolo and Novello, are grown in soil that is a combination of clay and sand. They provide a more balance between fruit and tannin and are more complex than the wines grown in only sandy soil.
The last 5 sub-regions Castiglione Falletto, Grinzane Cavour, Monforte d'Alba, Diano d'Alba, and Serralunga d'Alba are grown in predominantly clay sail. Producers in these areas also tend to use smaller oak barrels, many of them new, and by doing that they allow oak to have greater influence in the taste of the wine. All of this combines to produce a more Tannic, complex, and age worthy wines. These are my favorites particularly the ones from Serralunga d'Alba.
#2 Not all Barbara is created equal.
The two most prominent areas for growing Barbara are Barbara D'Asti, and Barbara D'Alba. The biggest cash crop in the area that Barbara D'Alba is grown is not Barbara but Nebbiolo used to produce Barolo. As a result the Nebbiolo gets the prime south facing vineyard locations, and the Barbara gets the less desirable vineyard locations that are left over. In the area Barbara D'Asti is grown it is the cash crop. As a result it gets all of the prime vineyard positions so you have a better shot at getting top quality wines. Does this mean you should avoid Barbara D'Alba? Not at all!! Because Barbara D'Alba is generally grown by wineries that also produce Barolo they tend to be bigger and bolder and less fruitier than Barbara D'Asti. The one you should select depends on what you are in the mood for and what food you are having with your wine. With lighter red sauce dishes I would go with the D'Asti, with meals that incorporate a significant amount of meat I would go with the D'Alba.
#3 Don't overlook the white wines from the region.
We tasted Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc's from the area and they were outstanding. Only issue is they are produced in limited quantities and are hard to find outside of the area. If you find one scoop it up you will be pleasantly surprised. If you are looking for a nice crisp wine with great acidity to to go with salad or sea food try Gavi or Roero/Arneis.
Nice article - particularly on the differences in Barolo. I'm going to have to try some kind of tasting across the areas to get a feel for them.
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