The Wines of Piedmont: Italy's King and Queen 👑👸

 

Slide 1: Introduction to Piedmont 🇮🇹

 

• Piedmont's Importance: One of Italy's most important wine regions.

• The Crown Jewels: Home to Barolo and Barbaresco, world-renowned, collectible, and age-worthy Nebbiolo wines.

• Location: The name translates to "Feet of the Mountain" ($Pied$-foot, $monte$-mountain).

  • Landlocked, surrounded by the Alps (North, West, South).

  • The Alps block the maritime influence of the Ligurian Sea.

• Geography:

  • Central area is flatter, marked by the Po River (Italy's longest).

  • Vineyards are predominantly on the hillsides of Langhe and Monferrato, as well as Alto Piemonte (far north).

• Capital & Cities: Turin (Capital), Allesandria, Asti, Cuneo.

• Climate: Continental—cold winters and hot summers, with most rain in spring and winter.

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Slide 2: Piedmont by the Numbers 📊

 

• Vineyard Area: $\approx$ 42,000 hectares (ha).

• Wine Production: $\approx$ 2,500,000 hectoliters (hl).

• Color Split: Just over half is red and rosé wine, and 46% is white wine.

• Other Grapes: Arneis, Grignolino, Freisa, Erbaluce, Croatina, and Bonarda are also planted.

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Slide 3: The Noble Red Grapes: Nebbiolo ❤️

 

• The Name: Derives from $Nebbia$ (Fog), due to foggy harvest conditions.

• Characteristics: One of the most alluring, age-worthy grapes known.

  • Aromatics: High-toned, perfumed, red-fruited (strawberry, cherry, cranberry), with classic notes of rose petals, violets, tar, and truffle.

  • Structure: High tannins and high acidity—essential for decades of aging. Tannins are "demanding" in youth.

• Aliases in Northern Italy: Chavenasca (Lombardy), Spanna (Alto Piemonte), Picoutener (Valle d'Aosta).

• Terroir Specificity: Uniquely thrives almost exclusively in its native Northern Italian home (Piedmont, Valle d'Aosta, Lombardy).

• Viticulture:

  • One of the first to bud, one of the last to ripen (typically harvested into October).

  • Requires crucial sun exposure; best vineyards face south.

  • Biotypes: Over 30 documented. Lampia (most planted) and Michet (low-yielding, intense, e.g., Mascarello's Monprivato).

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Slide 4: Supporting Red Grapes

 

Barbera

• The People's Grape: Piedmont's most planted.

• Style: Medium-bodied with soft tannins and elevated acidity.

• Aromatics: Moderate red and black fruit (cherry, blackberry, plum).

• Evolution: Historically simple, but producers like Giacomo Bologna pioneered richer, concentrated styles in the 1980s.

• Key DOCGs: Barbera d'Asti, Barbera del Monferrato Superiore, and Nizza.

 

Dolcetto

 

• The Little Sweet One: High sugar levels (but produces dry wine).

• Style: Fuller-bodied, high-alcohol wines that are juicy and rich.

• Winemaking Challenge: Notoriously tough to work with in the vineyard and cellar.

• Key DOCGs (Best Expressions): Diano d'Alba, Ovada, and Dogliani.

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Slide 5: Key White Grapes ⚪

Moscato Bianco (Most Planted White)

• Area: $\approx$ 12,000 ha, primarily in Asti.

• Style: Used for $Frizzante$ (semi-sparkling), off-dry wines (e.g., Moscato d'Asti DOCG), and to a lesser extent, sparkling and Passito wines.

• Key DOCGs: Asti DOCG, Moscato d'Asti DOCG, and the new Canelli DOCG (2023).

 

Cortese (Second Most Planted White)

 

• Area: Grows best in the commune of Gavi (Alto Monferrato).

• Style: Fresh and mineral with elevated acidity. Light-bodied, with notes of green apple and lemon.

• Key DOCG: Gavi DOCG (or Gavi di Gavi). Often paired with seafood.

 

Arneis

 

• Style: Light-bodied with aromas of peach, citrus, sweet almond, and floral notes, plus creaminess and elevated acidity.

• History: Almost faced extinction in the 1960s but was rescued by prominent winemakers (e.g., Vietti, Giacosa).

• Key DOCGs: Roero Arneis DOCG and Terre Alfieri DOCG.

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Slide 6: The "Hidden" Gems 💎

 

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Slide 7: Piedmont's DOCGs (A Snapshot of 19)

 

Piedmont has 19 DOCGs (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) in its territory.

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Slide 8: Barolo: The King 👑

 

• Status: Considered the King of Italian Wine. Exclusively red wine from 100% Nebbiolo.

• DOC/DOCG: One of the first to receive DOC (1966) and DOCG (1980) status.

• Communes: 11 total communes of production.

  • Major 5: Barolo, La Morra, Castiglione Faletto, Monforte d'Alba, Serralunga d'Alba.

• Soils & Style: | Soil Type | Age | Characteristics | Wine Style | Communes | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Serravalian | 11-13 million years | Grey-yellow, compacted sand/sandstone. | Firmer, more structured wines. | Monforte d'Alba, Serralunga d'Alba (East) | | Tortonian | 7-11 million years | Blue-grey, fertile, compact marl, clay, limestone. | Fruitier, softer, more approachable in youth. | Barolo, La Morra, Verduno, Novello (West) |

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Slide 9: Barolo Aging & Crus

Aging Requirements (Minimums from Nov 1st)

 

 

Single Vineyards (Crus)

 

• Officially recognized as $Menzione$ $Geografica$ $Aggiuntive$ (MGAs) in 2010.

  • Analogous to Premier Cru/Grand Cru in Burgundy.

  • 181 Official Crus exist. Adding $Vigna$ to the label means 100% of grapes come from that single vineyard.

• Key Crus and Producers (Examples):

  • Barolo: Crus: Cannubi, Bricco delle Violle. Producers: Brezza, Borgogno.

  • La Morra: Crus: Rocche dell'Annunziata, Brunate. Producers: Renato Ratti, Elio Altare.

  • Castiglione Faletto: Crus: Fiasco, Monprivato (Mascarello Monopole). Producers: Paolo Scavino, Vietti.

  • Serralunga d'Alba: Crus: Vigna Rionda, Falleto. Producers: Cappellano.

  • Monforte d'Alba: Crus: Bussia, Ginestra. Producers: Aldo Conterno, Giacomo Conterno.

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Slide 10: Barbaresco: The Queen 👸

 

• Status: Considered the Queen of Italian Wine. Equal in quality to Barolo, but often a slightly softer, more "feminine" style of Nebbiolo.

• Area: Smaller than Barolo ($\approx$ 800 ha). Nebbiolo ripens earlier here.

• Communes of Production (4): Barbaresco, Neive, Treiso, and a small part of Alba.

• Crus (MGAs): Local term for Cru is Sorıˊ (meaning "high elevation, steep plot").

• Commune Styles:

  • Neive: Fleshy and structured.

  • Treiso: Lighter and fresher wines.

  • Barbaresco (Town): Balanced, combining power with finesse.

• Notable Producers: Gaja, Produttori del Barbaresco, Roagna.

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Slide 11: Other Key Regions

Alto Piemonte 🏔️

• Location: Far northern reaches, in the foothills of the Alps. Cooler climate.

• Nebbiolo Alias: $Spanna$. Often blended with Vespolina, Uva Rara.

• Key DOCGs:

  • Gattinara DOCG: $Spanna\ge 90\%$. Volcanic soils.

  • Ghemme DOCG: $Spanna\ge 85\%$. Sandier soils.

• Other: Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG (exclusive Erbaluce white wine).

Monferrato

• Location: Northeast of Langhe, around Asti and Allesandria.

• Divisions: Casale, Astigiano, and Alto Monferrato (south).

• Key DOCGs (Examples):

  • Barbera DOCGs: Barbera d'Asti, Barbera del Monferrato Superiore, Nizza (strictest aging/yield requirements).

  • Asti DOCG: Moscato Bianco Frizzante/Sparkling.

  • Gavi DOCG: Cortese white wine.

  • Alta Langa DOCG: Traditional Method sparkling wine (Chardonnay/Pinot Noir) with long lees aging (30-36+ months).

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Slide 12: Conclusion: Exploring Piedmont

Piedmont offers an unparalleled diversity of wine, from the powerful, age-worthy Barolo and Barbaresco to the versatile Barbera and the globally popular Moscato d'Asti. Its unique blend of geography, climate, and indigenous grapes makes it one of the world's truly great wine regions.

What part of Piedmont are you most interested in exploring further?