Piedmont Region

 Wineglas Learning Center

 

Facts:

-The best wine region in Italy

-Turin is the capital city

-Largest wine region in size on the mainland but not the biggest producer of bottles due to the hills and mountains

-Piedmont means "foot of the mountains"

-Top 2 wines are Barolo and Barbaresco

-World famous truffles are found here

-Small acres of land owned by growers compared to other parts of Italy

-Home of Asti

-Home to world class Gaja wines

 

Soil:  clay, limestone, sand

 

Acres:  142,000

 

DOC (“dock”)- An Italian wine law and established in 1963 and went into effect in 67.  They help quality by specify better geographical areas, limiting tons per acre, and barrel aging.  Don’t try and pronounce the whole term.

 

DOCG-  Better quality then the DOC and the G means Guaranteed.  This label is given to the best in Italy and examples are Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti and more.

Half of all wines contain the DOC or DOCG status

 

The Wines

Some of the wines are the name of the region and others the name of the grape variety

 

 

Barolo & Barbaresco Wine Regions

 

Barolo and Barbaresco are places and the wines are made from 100% Nebbiolo Grapes.  These wines are powerful and require 10 plus years of aging although modern technology is allowing these wines to be drunk much sooner.  The Nebbiolo grape is high in tannins.  The aging requirements state 3 years in oak/bottle before release and if Riserva appears on the label it is five years in Barolo and two/four in Barbaresco.

 

The flavor profiles will exhibit tar, prunes, figs, leather, violets, spices, licorice, and more earth components.

 

Barolo Vineyard Sites:

Rocche

Cannubi

Brunate

Bussia Soprana

 

Barolo Villages (eleven total/ most important):

Barolo

La Morra

Castiglione

Falletto

Monforte d’Alba

Serrralunga d’Alba

 

 

Barbaresco Villages (half of the production as Barolo)

Barbaresco

Neive

Treiro

 

Other Nebbiolo Wines

Nebbiolo d’Alba

Gattinara

Ghemme

Spanna-  Also another name for Nebbiolo

 

 

Recommended Producers:

Expect to pay $35 and up on the following producers.

Aldo Conterno, Gaja, Cerrett, Conterno-Fantino, Paolo Scavino, Pio Cesare, Vietti, Damilio, Cigliutti, Bruno Giascosa, Prunotto

Best vintages:  2000, 2001, 2003, and 2004 skip 2002

 

 

The Rest of Piedmont

White and reds

 

Arneis

White wine made from the Arneis grape variety.  Means rascal.  Made in the hills of Roero and look for the producer Bruno Giacosa.

 

Asti

Asti Spumante is world famous.  Made from the Moscato grape the Sparkling Wine is created in the towns of Asti and Alba.  Spumante means foaming.  Moscato D'Asti is a higher level and made in smaller batches.

Food from Piedmont

Roasted game, veal, and lamb are huge in Piedmont. 

 

Barbera

Barbera are cheaper then Barolo and are excellent quality.  These are lighter styled wines with fruit bursting out of them.  On the label look for the two sub regions which are a bump in quality Barbera d'Alba and Barbera d'Asti.

The best producers are Fontanafredda, Aldo Conterno, San Michele, Gaja, Paolo Scavino, Pio Cesare, Vietti.

 

Dolcetto

Made from the Dolcetto grape.  Lighter styled wines with low acidity and no harsh tannins.  Look for Dolcetto d’Alba for the best wines.

 

Moscato d’Asti

Higher quality then Asti.  The grape used is Moscato.   Light sweetness and a delicate wine.  Super low in alcohol and under 9%.  This is a fizzy wine.

 

 

Terms:

 

Bianco- white

 

Bricco (Bree-koh)- The highest point within a vineyard area

 

Frizzante-  fizzy

 

Gaja-  First to plant Cabernet Sauvignon and make amazing wines in Piedmont

 

Nebbia- a fog that settles in during harvest time

 

Nero- Black or dark red

 

Spanna-  Also another name for Nebbiolo

 

Sori (sohr-ree)- A hill or slope with the best exposure to the sun.  These sites will face South

 

Temperature control-  This technology is allowing the Barolo wines to be consumed younger with less harsh tannins

 

Villa- Country manor

 

Vigna or Vigneto- Italian for vineyard

 

Vintigno- Grape variety

 

Bibliography

Bastianich, J., Lynch, D., Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy (New York, 2002). Belfrage, N., From Barolo to Valpolicella; The Wines of Northern Italy (London, 1999).

Herbst, R. & Herbst S. Wine Lover's Companion (2nd edn, New York, 2003).

MacNeil, K.  The Wine Bible (1st edn, New York, 2001).

Parker, R. The World's Greatest Wine Estates (1st edn, New York, 2005)

 

 

 

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