Piedmont

In the enchanting northwest corner of Italy lies one of the gems in the country’s culinary crown. Piedmont wines are experiencing a deserved day in the spotlight and in particular Piedmontese red wines are captivating wine drinkers across the spectrum.

The Wine of Kings and King of Wines, Barolo, is made on the rolling hills of the Langhe, surrounding the town of Alba, known for its alluring notes of strawberries, blood orange, roses and truffles, and ability to age and age and age. Look out for exquisite examples from Francesco Rinaldi, Oddero and Ettore Germano. Down the road in Barbaresco we find the wine of Queens, also made from the noble Nebbiolo grape, here the wines are more ethereal and perfumed with a freshness accompanying the earthy charm.

Further North in Alto-Piemonte, there is serious attention to be paid in the Nebbiolo appellations that have to date gone relatively under the radar. The cooler climes and mineral rich soils in the areas in Alto-Piemonte are home to producers of some magical Nebbiolo wines. Lifted, floral and wonderfully elegant, we are big advocates of the wines from Carema, Gattinara, Ghemme, Boca, Bramatterra and Lessona and we really think you should taste…

But Piedmont wine is not all about Nebbiolo, the winemaking stretches widely to the food friendly and easy-drinking Barbera, the fruit-forward, juicy Dolcetto, the aromatic and floral Ruche. And for whites, Piedmont is about precision and clean fruit expression. Favourites like Gavi are all-round crowd-pleasers with their attractive mineral, fruity composition, Erbaluce is a grape to try, a ripe and fleshy wine with a nettle-like character. And Langhe Riesling is a wine-drinkers wine for fans of the varieties mineral focus and steely backbone, Italian expertise crafts this variety just beautifully. Don’t overlook their sparkling wines either, but we’ll leave them for you to discover…