Red Wines of Langhe: An Important History

• BAROLO, WINE OF KINGS

the king of kings. Made from Nebbiolo grapes from the territories of the communes of Barolo, Castiglione Falletto and Serralunga d’Alba and part of the territories of the communes of La Morra, Monforte d’Alba, Roddi, Verduno, Cherasco, Diano d’Alba, Novello and Grinzane Cavour in the province of Cuneo.

Barolo requires an aging of at least 4 years, of which 18 months in wood casks. It is an important but not difficult wine. With a wine tasting it is possible to discover the facets that the soil, the aging and the care of the producer can give to this great wine. To accompany robust meat and game dishes but also to be enjoyed with mature cheeses such as Castelmagno. Absolutely SLOW as a wine! It invites you to taste it slowly because it transmits its history.

• BARBARESCO, ELEGANT AND IMPORTANT WINE

contends the scepter with its brother Barolo. Barbaresco is also produced with Nebbiolo grapes in the territories of Barbaresco, Neive, Treiso and the part of the hamlet “San Rocco” which was already part of the municipality of Barbaresco and aggregated to the municipality of Alba. Aged for at least 3 years. A more gentle wine but with character. It is gaining ground in the world of connoisseurs and the production of some wineries is already sold even before being bottled. This is also to be considered as a SLOW wine. This is also a wine that I like to define “conscious”. Every sip reminds you how much it was understood and loved by its producer!

• NEBBIOLO

is the oldest indigenous black grape variety of Piedmont, one of the most noble and precious of Italy. The name comes from the fact that the harvest takes place in late autumn, when morning and evening fogs are frequent on the hills of the Langhe. It is a strong and powerful wine, very rich in alcohol that often expresses its characteristics at its best after a slow aging. Depending on the area of cultivation, Nebbiolo gives origin to a series of great red wines which take different names in the various territories. A wine loved for its versatility.

• BARBERA

Barbera is not only in Monferrato! This vine of very ancient origin is having more and more success in the last years, it has proved capable of offering both excellent young wines and wines of average longevity and good structure which resist to time and confirm the most original characters of a land and of a vine of particular prestige. It is a wine very loved by foreigners as well.

• DOLCETTO

Dolcetto is one of the most typical autochthonous Piedmontese vines and is cultivated in varying degrees almost everywhere in the region. The wine of the peasant par excellence, some imagine it as sweet because of its name, whereas it is a genuine wine, that tastes of grapes, suitable for the daily table, but of quality. It is one of the red wines I appreciate the most! For this reason I would not define it in any way: it is the wine I learned to appreciate before all the others.

• PELAVERGA

neglected for a long time, has found the interest of some local winemakers around the seventies. Today it is enjoying success thanks to the increasing attention paid to indigenous grape varieties and because it offers a particularly original wine with a distinctive spicy aroma. The grapes have crunchy berries and are excellent for eating. In the Langhe region, Pelaverga is cultivated in a small area between the communes of Roddi and Verduno.

Langhe White Wines: a surprise!

• WHITE MOSCATO

Piedmont is the homeland of great red wines, but we also have other important grape varieties such as Moscato Bianco which occupies 22% of the surface planted with vines. It is one of the typical wines of the Langhe, even if it was once considered “the wine of children” because it has a very low vol. alc., so our grandparents used to give us two fingers of it on special occasions. Have a look at the travel ideas for families in the Langhe

• NASCETTA

Nascetta is also a semi-aromatic white grape variety produced exclusively in the municipality of Novello. A white wine of the Langhe, it is not very well known nowadays, but was already mentioned in the 19th century. In the past years it has been surpassed by the great wines of the Piedmontese Langhe, but in 2002 it was awarded DOC status. Its scents of white flowers and citrus aromas make it excellent in combination with appetizers and white meats.

• ALTA LANGA

Yes! We have sparkling wines in Langhe as well! DOCG of 2011 born for the production of Classic Method sparkling wines with the use of international grapes such as chardonnay and pinot noir. Alta Langa is very different from Bassa Langa (commonly called Langa/Langhe) because it has higher altitudes and consequently ideal temperature ranges for these grape varieties. The production of Alta Langa is growing, so much that many wineries are buying land to plant these grapes. These sparkling wines are usually drunk as an aperitif or during special occasions.

• SAUVIGNON

Among Langhe wines, there are also international ones to be mentioned. Of course we all know a vine is not the same everywhere, according to where it grows it takes on particular scents.

In Langhe DOC Sauvignon you can find fresh scents of cut grass, peach, grapefruit, passion fruit. Lychee. It is usually an aperitif wine, but it also goes well with vegetables.

• CHARDONNAY

Even if Chardonnay is not exactly the wine of the Langhe, it finds in this area the right habitat to give the wine intense aromas. Together with Merlot, they are the most cultivated international vines in the world because they have a strong ability to adapt. It is an excellent Langhe white wine with intense and floral aromas. There is also a curious legend about Chardonnay. I will tell it to you: “Carlo Magno, having a long beard and an easy elbow, always used to stain himself with red wine. One day his wife, annoyed, urged him to cultivate white berried grapes on his land, including Chardonnay”.