While there are several theories of how this grape got its name, a visit to Piemonte during the harvest certainly lends credence to the most quoted. In October the normally clear visibility that allows one to see all the way to the Alps gives way to a heavy fog that fills the valleys. The Italian word for fog: nebbia.
Driving out of Milan on a sunny October afternoon, you know when you are nearing Piemonte as you start to encounter the nebbia. On a side note, that drive is not only beautiful--it is quite easy. We wonder why so much of wine tourism in Italy centers on the Chianti region of Tuscany which is 3-4 hours by car from the airports of Rome or Milan. Less than a 2 hour drive from the Malpensa or Linate airports of Milan brings you to the heart of Piemonte and the pinnacle of nebbiolo wine.
There were two things in particular that struck us on our first trip to Piemonte. First was the breathtaking beauty. While that can be said about much of Italy, Piemonte was outright stunning. The hills are much taller than, say, Tuscany and the sweeping vistas offer views that make driving downright challenging. It is very difficult to keep one's eyes on the winding roads when the surrounding landscape begs you to stare!
The second surprise was the proximity of the famed towns to one another. In planning, we weren't sure if we would focus on Barolo, Barbaresco, Alba, La Morra...so many choices and such great wines. As it turns out, the distance between these towns is 15 or 20 kilometers. Mind you, with the aforementioned winding roads it can take 30 minutes. But there is no need to choose--do them all!
The two best known nebbiolo wines are Barolo and Barbaresco, and are grown in the areas surrounding the two towns for which they are named. The former is often referred to as the king of nebbiolo with powerful tannins in it's youth and the ability to age for decades. Barbaresco, then, is the queen and offers more approachable and elegant wines.
The rules required in order to place Barolo DOCG on a label are some of the strictest of any wine in Italy. Not only do they stipulate the location of the vineyard and aging regiment, they also dictate the altitude and even directional exposure for the vines. Within these constraints, Barolo still exhibits a wide range of expressions and single vineyard labels are very much the norm for the higher end wines. The region includes 11 towns, but only covers less than 35 square miles.
The Barbaresco DOCG is somewhat less restrictive. These wines ripen faster and can be enjoyed at a younger age. The region is only about 1/3 the size of Barolo.
The larger wineries do tend to have tasting rooms, with some offering wonderful experiences that rival what one finds in Napa. If you are an aficionado of Barolo and/or Barbaresco, then arranging your itinerary will be easy. Remember, these are small regions and hitting all of your favorites is easy.
If you are a newcomer to these wines, a way to kick off your visit is spending some time at a tasting room in town. In Barolo, there is an Enoteca that serves 32 wines "by the taste" using Vinomatic machines that keep the wine fresh. These represent a nice cross section of the various vineyards and wineries and can help you decide which ones you want to visit. It is called Enoteca Regionale del Barolo, but note that the website and social media tend to be fairly out of date. Barbaresco offers similar opportunities to taste in town before scheduling visits to the surrounding wineries.
In Barolo, we fell in love with the widely acclaimed Marchesi di Barolo, which claims to be the birthplace of Barolo wine some 200 years ago. It is located on the west edge of town, just a 10 minute walk from the Enoteca discussed above. They have a spacious tasting room with tastings and pairings to fit all tastes. All of the wineries we visited in Barolo were very accommodating and memorable.
In Barbaresca, we loved the town center. There is an enoteca built into the 200 year old San Donato church (it has been "deconsecrated"). Here you can taste a wide variety of the "queen" nebbiolo as you learn from the knowledgeable and friendly staff. Note that you must park outside of the tiny town and walk to your destinations. The tower (Torre di Barbaresco) is a must-see, offering sweeping views from a thousand year old structure.
Piamonte and its world class nebbiolo based wines is a fabulous place to explore. Currently, there are not a great deal of Americans that visit. We've found that most non-Italian tourists are German. It is not overrun with tourism like Venice and some parts of Tuscany. But it does accommodate wine tourists quite well. All in all, it is a great place to create your own "vine memories."
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