ITALY: Piemonte
STAFF TRAINING MODULE
The premier vineyards of Nebbiolo in Piemonte are on Southern facing slopes
Cradled by the Alps and the Apennines, the northerly region of
Piemonte (Piedmont) is a mecca for lovers of Italian food and wine.
The Po River—Italy’s longest—flows through the heart of Piemonte, creating a fertile
agricultural valley amidst hills draped with vines. Acclaimed for the quality of its tajarin,
agnolotti, Gorgonzola and Robiola cheeses, hazelnuts, chestnuts, and porcinis,
Piemonte has a rich and earthy cuisine informed more by land than sea. Bright southern
ingredients of olive oil and tomato take a backseat to butter and cream, allowing the
region’s wines to provide lift and dimension at the table. The flavors of Piemonte seem
to herald the coming of autumn, and gastronomes across the world rejoice at the fall
arrival of Alba madonna—Piemonte’s famed white truffle. In Barolo, the top red wine of
Piemonte, the white truffle finds a worthy partner.
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“The Foot of the Mountains”
Piemonte borders France, Switzerland, and the Italian regions of Valle d’Aosta, Lombardia,
Emilia-Romagna and Liguria. While the Po River Valley itself is best suited for traditional agriculture,
Piemonte’s extensive foothills and sub-mountainous terrains are often adapted to viticulture,
particularly in the areas of Langhe (where Barolo and Barbaresco are produced) and Monferrato.
Although the Alps shield Piemonte from the
coldest Arctic air masses, the region suffers from
colder winters than most of the Italian peninsula,
and snow in the vineyards is not an uncommon
site. Alba, a town in the Langhe hills and site of
the world’s most famous truffle festival, lies on
the same latitude as Bordeaux but lacks the
moderating influence of a nearby ocean.
Seasonal extremes are greater and the climate is
drier, though hail remains a major worry during
harvest season. In this colder continental climate,
the best vineyards are typically planted on
southern-facing hillsides or hilltops in order to soak Monferrato
up the sun.
Producers may indicate such a privileged site on a
label with the Piemontese term “sorì”.
Piemonte has more Protected Designations of
Origin (DOP), including both Denominazione di
Origine Controllata (DOC) and Denominazione di
Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG), than any
other region of Italy. Most consider Piemonte and
Toscana to be the top regions for quality red wines
in the country, and Piemonte’s Barolo and
Barbaresco wines have earned a rightful place
among the classic wine styles of the world.
Winter in Piemonte
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Red Grapes
In Piemonte, there are three principal red grapes. They are Nebbiolo,
Barbera, and Dolcetto.
NEBBIOLO BARBERA DOLCETTO
Nebbiolo, named for la Barbera is known for high Dolcetto (“little sweet one”)
nebbia (fog), is the last acid and low tannin. It is is the earliest to ripen and is
grape to ripen, and it may often harvested (and drank) an approachable wine, often
not be harvested until late in between Dolcetto and consumed locally while the
October or early November. Nebbiolo. Nebbiolo is still in cask.
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Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo Although there are
less than 15,000 acres of the
Nebbiolo grape in all of Italy, it
produces what are arguably the
country’s most majestic and
long-lived red wines. Piemonte
provides its natural habitat, and in
the right hands the grape delivers
perfumed, bone dry, highly
tannic, powerful, pulsing wines of
little fruit but enormous
complexity.
Barolo
Classic descriptors include tar, rose, truffle,
licorice, and sour, dried cherry. Traditionally, the
wine is light in color, orange-tinged even in youth,
and devoid of the sweetness of oak, but some
producers advocate a more modern approach,
imbuing the wines with dark fruit, vanilla, spice,
and plusher tannins by adopting non-traditional
winemaking techniques. Whatever the style,
Nebbiolo comes into its own at the table as
cooler autumnal days approach, and dishes
become more substantial.
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Top Nebbiolo Appellations
Barolo and Barbaresco
The appellations of Barolo and Barbaresco comprise two separate clusters of townships along the
Tanaro River in the Langhe hills, divided by only a handful of miles. The wines undergo mandatory aging
prior to release—at least 3 years for Barolo and 2 for Barbaresco—and the best examples can improve
for decades. Classically, Barbaresco is considered a softer, more “feminine” wine, while Barolo earns a
more “masculine” description, but individual producer styles often dictate the differences in these very
similar wines.
In both appellations, many producers bottle single
vineyard wines, often labeled “Vigna” but popularly
known as “cru” wines. In Barolo, there are five
townships—Barolo itself, La Morra, Monforte
d’Alba, Castiglione Falletto, and Serralunga
d’Alba—with a significant shift in soils from Torto-
nian calcareous marl to Helvetian sandstone
between the former and the latter. Many tasters
attribute a softer character in the wines of Barolo
and La Morra to the calcareous marl soils underfoot.
Soil variations, a complicated system of single
vineyard sites, and the aromatic complexity of the
resulting wines create appeal for fans of Burgundy.
Riserva: On Italian wine labels, “Riserva” may only
be applied if a wine has undergone an additional
period of aging beyond the basic minimum required
Barbaresco
by an appellation. For instance, Barolo Riserva must
Other Quality Appellations for be aged 5 years prior to release, and Barbaresco
Nebbiolo Wines: Riserva must be aged at least 3 years prior to release.
t3PFSP Riserva wines often have greater concentration and
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GRAPE VARIETY: Barbera
Barbera, Piemonte’s most planted
grape, produces a highly acidic, floral wine
with a lighter body than either Nebbiolo or
Dolcetto. It has little tannin, and typically
shows a black and red fruit profile that
sways between tart and sweet. Some
producers sheathe the wine’s inherent acid
and bulk up its body and structure by aging
it in new French oak barrels; if the wine’s
concentration and color veer toward
opacity, the wine was likely raised in this
fashion. Barbera is not an ideal candidate
Barbera
for aging, and should be generally
consumed within a few years of the
vintage.
Quality Appellations for
Barbera Wines:
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Asti
Superiore: In Italy, “Superiore” on a label may indicate either a heightened degree of
alcohol or a longer minimum period of aging, or both. In the appellation of Barbera
d’Asti, for instance, “Superiore” wines must achieve an additional 0.5% minimum alcohol
level, and they must be aged for an additional 10 months prior to release.
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GRAPE VARIETY: Dolcetto
Dolcetto is generally fuller in body,
lower in acid, and higher in tannin than
Barbera. Fruit notes are riper, and the wines
have a distinctly bitter undercurrent.
Balsamic notes are not uncommon.
Dolcetto, often aged only briefly in old oak
casks or stainless steel tanks, is best sold
while still fresh and vibrant.
Quality Appellations for
Dolcetto Wines:
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Dolcetto
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Other Red Grapes of Piemonte
Many other local red grapes are found in smaller proportions
in Piemonte. One may be forgiven for confusing a Grigno-
lino red with a rosé wine, given its high acid and extremely
light color. Brachetto is often fashioned into sweet, low-
alcohol sparkling wines, whereas Ruchè is an intensely
aromatic, floral, soft quaffing wine. Pelaverga produces a
light, refreshing, peppery red. Other local red grapes, like
Vespolina and Uva Rara, are chiefly used for blending. As
always, there is a smattering of international grapes as well.
Angelo Gaja, a top producer of Barbaresco, labels his Cabe-
rnet Sauvignon “Darmagi”, meaning “what a
shame!”—purportedly the words of disappointment his
father uttered as he watched his son tear out perfectly good
Nebbiolo for a French grape
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White Grapes
While Piemonte is less known for the quality of its white wines, it is the home of Asti—formerly known as
Asti Spumante—a sparkling wine of generally everyday quality that has flooded supermarkets across the
world. Nonetheless, delicious wines may be found at very good prices in the appellation and some still
white wines of good quality are produced throughout the region.
Moscato Bianco: The white Muscat grape is
incredibly floral, orange-scented, and offers only
moderate levels of acidity and alcohol. While
occasionally dried for the production of sweet
passito wines, it is generally used for Asti sparkling
wines. Unlike the traditional method of sparkling
wine production used in Champagne, Asti wines
are almost always produced by the Charmat
method, in which they undergo a second
fermentation to gain sparkle in large tanks prior to
Spumante and Frizzante: In Italy, “Spumante”
being bottled, rather than in the bottle itself. Thus,
indicates a fully sparkling wine, with pressure akin
they do not generally exhibit the leesy, bakeshop
to Champagne, whereas “Frizzante” indicates a
notes prevalent in Champagne, but rather the
semi-sparkling wine.
exuberant fruit of the Muscat grape. While Asti
may be dry or sweet, the best examples are often
labeled “Moscato d’Asti”, a semi-sparkling, Arneis: White wines labeled “Roero” are the
slightly sweet rendition that can perform equally product of the Arneis grape. They are usually
well before a meal or at its conclusion, with a light subtle, medium-bodied, crisp, and herbal- and
fruit dessert. almond-tinged.
Cortese: The grape of Gavi, Cortese is a
Passito: In Italy, many dessert wines are produced semi-aromatic, dry white often produced without
with dried grapes. In the appassimento process, a impact from oak.
winemaker allows freshly harvested grapes to
rasinate, concentrating sugars, acid, and other Other White Grapes: Other local white
components as they dehydrate. The resulting wine grapes include Favorita, which has been
will maintain acidity and rich sweetness while determined through DNA testing to be indentical
achieving a higher level of alcohol. to Vermentino, and Erbaluce, a grape that best
expresses itself in sweet passito wines.
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Selling Piemonte Wines
Italian wine imports into the US
exceed those of every other
country, and Americans have a
love affair with Italian cuisine in
general. It is often not difficult to
nudge a guest in the direction of
Italian wines, but getting the
appropriate wine—for the guest
and the occasion—requires a bit
Truffle season in Piemonte
of thought. Instead of looking at
Italian wines as a one-size-fits-all answer to Italian cuisines, consider the style. Piemontese reds may
work better with richer and more substantial courses, whereas southern Italian wines may be better
suited to Mediterranean dishes.
Nebbiolo, with its avenging levels of tannin and acid, is a good textural counterpart to rich
risottos, buttery egg noodle pastas with woodsy flavors of mushroom and thyme, and complex,
slow-braised pork or beef dishes. Truffle-scented foods sing with the grape.
Barbera is a great foil for salume
Dolcetto is surprisingly good with braised rabbit and other lighter meats and game.
Arneis can be a great tablemate for simple white fish dishes, linguine with pesto, or fresh
cheeses.
Moscato d’Asti is a great close to a meal; its unusually low alcohol (approximately 5%), subtle
sweetness and flamboyant flavors may earn a sale from a table underwhelmed by the prospect of
something fortified or cloying at the end of a meal.
Engage your guests!
Beyond appropriate food pairing, a simple, quick discussion of style with a guest can be
extremely useful in selling Piemontese wines. Does the guest dislike tannic wines? If so,
Nebbiolo may not be the right choice. On the other hand, if the guest likes aromatic
wines with good acidity (i.e. Pinot Noir) but is looking for something a little more powerful
and bold, Nebbiolo might be very successful. If the guest prefers fuller styles of reds with
plenty of fruit, perhaps an oak-aged Dolcetto would be appropriate. For guests looking
for lighter reds with zip and energy, traditional styles of Barbera, Pelaverga, or even
Grignolino will fit the bill perfectly.
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Review Questions
What is the grape of Barolo and Barbaresco?
Name one sparkling wine appellation in Piemonte.
What is the most planted red grape in Piemonte?
What is the minimum aging required by law for Barolo?
What does “Riserva” typically indicate on an Italian wine bottle?
What are the Italian terms for sparkling and semi-sparkling?
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