Piedmont wine

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The Piedmont region Piedmont in Italy.svg
The Piedmont region

Piedmont wine is the range of Italian wines made in the region of Piedmont, in the northwestern corner of Italy. The best-known wines from the region include Barolo and Barbaresco. They are made from the Nebbiolo grape. These wines are ideal for storage and a well-aged Barolo for instance may leave a feeling of drinking velvet because the tannins are polished and integrated more and more into the wine. As the wine matures the colour becomes more brownish and rust-red.

Contents

Other popular grapes used for red wine production are Barbera and Dolcetto. Wine made with the Barbera grape is often fruity, with high acidity. It can be delicate with less tannin than wine made from the Nebbiolo grape. Dolcetto on the other side, is not, as the name indicates, sweet. Dolcetto means "little sweet one" (dolce is the Italian word for "sweet"). The grape gives fresh and dry red wines with some tannin. The wines made with the Dolcetto grape are typically consumed relatively young.

The sparkling wine Asti spumante is made from the Moscato grape. The majority of the area's winemaking take places in the provinces of Cuneo, Asti and Alessandria. The Brachetto is another variety used for making sweet and sparkling red wines.

While Turin is the capital of the Piedmont, Alba and Asti are at the heart of the region's wine industry. The winemaking industry of the Piedmont played a significant role in the early stages of the Risorgimento with some of the era's most prominent figures – such as Camillo Benso, conte di Cavour and Giuseppe Garibaldi  – owning vineyards in Piedmont region and making significant contributions to the development of Piedmontese wines. The excessively high tariffs imposed by the Austrian Empire on the export of Piedmontese wines to Austrian controlled areas of northern Italy was one of the underlying sparks to the revolutions of 1848–1849.

History

Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour was not only the first prime minister of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia during the Risorgimento, but also a prominent vineyard owner who introduced many French viticultural techniques to the region. Luigi Sivalli -ritratto di Camillo Benso conte di Cavour -incisione su carta -ca.1860.jpg
Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour was not only the first prime minister of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia during the Risorgimento , but also a prominent vineyard owner who introduced many French viticultural techniques to the region.

As in most of Italy, native vines are abundant in the land that the Ancient Greeks called Oenotrua (meaning "land of vines") and was subsequently cultivated by the Romans. With its close proximity, France has been a significant viticultural influence on the region, particularly Burgundy, which is evident today in the varietal styles of most Piedmontese wines with very little blending. One of the earliest mention of Piedmontese wines occurred in the 14th century when the Italian agricultural writer Pietro de Crescentius wrote his Liber Ruralium Commodorum. He noted the efforts of the Piedmontese to make "Greek style" sweet wines by twisting the stems of the grapes clusters and letting them hang longer on the vine to dry out. He also noted the changes with trellising in the region with more vines being staked close to the grounds rather than cultivated high among trees in the manner more common to Italian viticulture at the time. In the 17th century, the court jeweller of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy earned broad renown for his pale red Chiaretto made entirely from the Nebbiolo grape. [1]

During the Risorgimento (Italian unification) of the 19th century, many Piemontese winemakers and land owners played a pivotal role. The famous Italian patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi was a winemaker who in the 1850s introduced the use of the Bordeaux mixture to control the spread of oidium that was starting to ravage the area's vineyards. Camillo Benso, conte di Cavour was a wealthy vineyard owner who went abroad to study advance viticulture prior to founding the political newspaper Il Risorgimento . He was highly influential in the adoption of many French viticultural techniques among the Piemontese vineyards. [1]

King Charles Albert of Sardinia Carlo alberto.jpg
King Charles Albert of Sardinia

One of the early sparks of the Italian revolts against Austria was the act of the Austrian government to double the tariffs of Piemontese wines into the Austrian control lands of Lombardy, Emilia and the Veneto. This had a crippling effect on the Piemontese wine industry, essentially cutting them off from their main export market. In 1846, King Charles Albert of Sardinia spoke to the Piedmontese winegrowers at the meeting of the Agricultural Congress at Casale Monferrato where he assailed the Austrian oppression. By 1848, Piedmont was at war with Austria in one of the early events that eventually led to the unification of the Italian peninsula under the rule of Charles Albert's son Victor Emmanuel. [1]

Climate and geography

The Piedmont region is located in the foothills of the Alps forming its border with France and Switzerland. To the northwest is the Valle d'Aosta, to the east is the province of Lombardy with the Liguria region forming its southern border along the Apennines. In addition to the vast mountainous terrain, the Po Valley consumes a large area of available land-leaving only 30% of the region suitable for vineyard plantings. The valley and the mountains do contribute to the area's noted fog cover which aides in the ripening of the Nebbiolo ("Nebieu") grape (which gets its name from the Piedmontese word nebia meaning "fog"). [2]

Although the winemaking regions of the Piedmont and Bordeaux are very close in latitude, only the summertime temperatures are similar: the Piedmont wine region has a colder, continental winter climate, and significantly lower rainfall due to the rain shadow effect of the Alps. [3] [4] Vineyards are typically planted on hillsides altitudes between 490–1150 ft (150-400 metre). The warmer south facing slopes are mainly used for Nebbiolo or Barbera while the cooler sites are planted with Dolcetto or Moscato. [5]

Regions

Provinces of Piedmont Piedmont Provinces 2.png
Provinces of Piedmont
A Cabernet Sauvignon/Barbera blend from the Langhe DOC Langhe blend.jpg
A Cabernet Sauvignon/Barbera blend from the Langhe DOC

The majority of the region's winemaking (about 90%) takes place in the southern part of Piedmont around the towns of Alba (in Cuneo), Asti and Alessandria. [2] The Piemonte wine region is divided into five broad zones. [5]

DOCs

The Piedmont region is home to 41 denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) and 19 denominazione di origine controllata e garantita (DOCG). [6] [7]

The 19 DOCG wines in Piedmont are:

Grapes and wines

A Dolcetto d'Alba Dolcetto d'alba.jpg
A Dolcetto d'Alba

Barbera is the most widely planted grape in the region, but Nebbiolo and Dolcetto account for a significant portion of the area's red wine production as well. With white wines, Moscato is the most prominent with its sparkling and frizzante style wines. Other notable white wines include styles made from the Cortese grape in Gavi as well as blends of Cortese with Arneis and Favorita from Colli Tortonesi and Alto Monferrato. Since the 1980s there has been growing numbers of experimental plantings with the international varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot noir, Sauvignon blanc and Syrah. [5] Other local or indigenous grapes include Baratuciat, Bonarda, Croatina, Erbaluce, Freisa, Gamba di Pernice, Grignolino, Grisa nera, Malvasia nera, Pelaverga, Plassa, Rossese bianco, Timorasso, Uvalino, Uva Rara and Vespolina. [2] [8] [9]

The Piedmont produces more DOCG wines by volume than any other Italian wine region with nearly 84% of all the areas wine production falling under a DOCG designation. The area has no indicazione geografica tipica (IGT) classification, in contrast to Tuscany where IGT wines or Super Tuscans make up a significant portion of that region's wine production. [2]

Some varietal style wines are made in the Piedmont region with the name of the grape and town both appearing on the label. Some DOC examples include Barbera d'Alba, Barbera d'Asti, and Dolcetto di Dogliani made entirely from the Barbera and Dolcetto grape respectively. [10]

Barolo

A Barolo from the Serralunga d'Alba region Fontanafredda Barolo Serralunga d'Alba.jpg
A Barolo from the Serralunga d’Alba region

In 1980, the wines of the Barolo region became one of the first Italian wines to receive DOCG status. Produced to the southwest of the town of Alba in the hills of the Langhe, Barolo is a big, tannic expression of the Nebbiolo grape. The soil of this area is a composition of clay and marl which helps to lessen the naturally high acidity of Nebbiolo. The Tanaro river flows through the heart of Barolo country and serves as a tempering influence on the region's summertime heat till harvest time in late October/mid November. A small wine region, extending over 7 miles in length and 5 miles at its widest point, Barolo produces about 500,000 cases of wine annually. Nearly 87% of the zone productions comes from vineyards in five communities: [11] Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, La Morra, Monforte d'Alba, and Serralunga d'Alba. Wines from the Central Valley of La Morra and Barolo tend to be very perfumed and velvety with less tannins than other Barolos. The soil of the Central Valley itself is more clay based with increased levels of magnesium oxide and manganese. The wines from the Serralunga Valley are more full bodied and tannic and require aging of 12–15 years before they hit their peak.[ citation needed ] The soil of the Serralunga is heavy in sand, iron, limestone, phosphorus and potassium. [11]

Barbaresco

Being produced from the same grape as Barolo and less than 10 miles apart, there are a lot of similarities that Barbaresco has with it neighboring wines but the slight maritime influence of the Tanaro river helps fashion distinctly different wines. Generally less tannic, Barbaresco tend to be more elegant and approachable in their youth. The Barbaresco DOCG regulation stipulates wines with minimum alcohol content of 12.5% and 2 years minimum aging in the winery for standard labels and 4 years minimum for riservas wines. Being an even smaller zone than Barolo, producers in the region produce a little more than 200,000 cases annually. The majority of Barbaresco production takes place in 3 communities: [12] Barbaresco, Treiso and Neive. The soils in the Barbaresco zone are more uniform across the region which tends to produce a more consistent profile with the wines than what can be achieved across the widely different areas of Barolo. [12]

Moscato d'Asti

A Moscato d'Asti Moscato d'asti.jpg
A Moscato d'Asti

The white wines made from the Moscato Bianco (also known as Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains) are most noted for their frizzante and sparkling spumante styles but some still wines are produced as well. Located northeast of Alba, the wines from the Asti region are known for their delicate light bodies, low alcohol content and slightly sweet nature. [13] Like many sparkling wines, Asti are not vintage dated even though a majority of the grapes might all come from the same vintage year. The wines are typically at their peak between 1 and 2 years from their release. [14]

Other wines

A Barbera d'Alba from Piedmont Barbera d'alba.jpg
A Barbera d'Alba from Piedmont

The Barbera grape is the most widely planted variety in all of the Piedmont and makes a juicy, muscular red wine that is not as tannic as Barolo and Barbaresco. It is grown in nearly every major wine making region of the Piedmont but seems to do best in the southern part of the province of Asti in the Nizza DOCG zone. Some producers are experimenting with blending Barbera with Nebbiolo to combine the former's fruitiness with the later's structure. The light fruitiness of wines from the Dolcetto grape has caused some wine writers to describe it as the Italian version of Beaujolais. The wines have a sense of spiciness to them with little acid and tannins. They are able to be drunk relatively young and tend to be the every day drinking wines of the Piedmontese. [15]

Up until the 1980s, when the wines of the Friuli Venezia Giulia began to receive notice, the white wines of the Gavi region were touted as the best expression of dry Italian wine. Made primarily from the Cortese grape, these wines are noted for their dry, crisp acidity with citrus and mineral notes. The white wines made from the Arneis grape tend to be dry, vibrant and full body with notes of pears and apricots. Produced in the hills of the Roero to the northwest of Alba, the name Arneis means "rascal" in Piedmontese. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barolo</span> Type of Italian red wine

Barolo is a red denominazione di origine controllata e garantita (DOCG) wine produced in the northern Italian region of Piedmont. It is made from the nebbiolo grape and is often described as one of Italy's greatest wines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nebbiolo</span> Variety of Italian red wine grape

Nebbiolo is an Italian red wine grape variety predominantly associated with its native Piedmont region, where it makes the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) wines of Barolo, Barbaresco, Gattinara, Ghemme, and Roero, together with numerous DOC wines. Nebbiolo is thought to derive its name from the Italian nebbia or Piedmontese nebia, meaning "fog". During harvest, which generally takes place late in October, a deep, intense fog sets into the Langhe region where many Nebbiolo vineyards are located. Alternative explanations refer to the fog-like glaucous veil that forms over the berries as they reach maturity, or that perhaps the name is derived instead from the Italian word nobile, meaning noble. Nebbiolo produces lightly-colored red wines which can be highly tannic in youth with scents of tar and roses. As they age, the wines take on a characteristic brick-orange hue at the rim of the glass and mature to reveal other aromas and flavours such as violets, tar, wild herbs, cherries, raspberries, truffles, tobacco, and prunes. Nebbiolo wines can require years of ageing to balance the tannins with other characteristics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbera</span> Variety of grape

Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy. It produces good yields and is known for deep color, full body, low tannins and high levels of acidity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolcetto</span> Variety of grape

Dolcetto is a black Italian wine grape variety widely grown in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. The Italian word dolcetto means "little sweet one", but it is not certain that the name originally carried any reference to the grape’s sugar levels: it is possible that it derives from the name of the hills where the vine is cultivated. In any case the wines produced are nearly always dry. They can be tannic and fruity with moderate, or decidedly low, levels of acidity and are typically meant to be consumed within a few years after release.

Grignolino is a red Italian wine grape variety commonly grown in the Piedmont region. It makes light colored wines and rosés with very fruity aromas, strong acidity and tannins. The name Grignolino derives from the word grignole which means "many pips" in the local Piedmontese dialect of the Asti region. The abundance of pips, or seeds, contributes to the strong, bitter tannins associated with the wine. Modern winemakers try to avoid the excess tannins with gentle and slow pressings. Grignolino has three Denominazione di origine controllata (DOCs) that produce wine from it - Asti, Monferrato Casale, and Piemonte Grignolino.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montferrat</span> Geographic region of northern Italy

Montferrat is a historical region of Piedmont, in northern Italy. It comprises roughly the modern provinces of Alessandria and Asti. Montferrat is one of the most important wine districts of Italy. It also has a strong literary tradition, including the 18th century Asti-born poet and dramatist Vittorio Alfieri and the Alessandrian Umberto Eco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Langhe</span> UNESCO World Heritage Site in Piedmont, Italy

The Langhe is a hilly area to the south and east of the river Tanaro in the provinces of Cuneo and Asti in Piedmont, northern Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italian wine</span> Wine making in Italy

Italian wine is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the world's largest wine producer, as well as the country with the widest variety of indigenous grapevine in the world, with an area of 702,000 hectares under vineyard cultivation, and contributing a 2013–2017 annual average of 48.3 million hl of wine. In 2018 Italy accounted for 19 per cent of global production, ahead of France and Spain. Italian wine is both exported around the world and popular domestically among Italians, who consume an average of 42 litres per capita, ranking fifth in world wine consumption.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asti wine</span> Italian sparkling white wine

Asti is a sparkling white Italian wine that is produced throughout southeastern Piedmont, but is particularly focused around the towns of Asti and Alba. Since 1993 the wine has been classified as a denominazione di origine controllata e garantita (DOCG) and as of 2004 was Italy's largest producing appellation. On an average vintage more than ten times as much Asti is produced in Piedmont than the more well-known Piedmontese red wine Barolo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbaresco</span> Italian red wine

Barbaresco is an Italian wine made with the Nebbiolo grape. Barbaresco is produced in the Piedmont region in an area of the Langhe immediately to the east of Alba and specifically in the comunes of Barbaresco, Treiso and Neive plus that area of the frazione San Rocco Seno d'Elvio which was once part of the comune of Barbaresco and now belongs to the comune of Alba. It was granted Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) status in 1966 and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita status in 1980. The wine is often compared with Barolo—another Nebbiolo-based wine from the Piedmont area. Though the wines do share many similarities, there are some distinct differences between them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Costigliole d'Asti</span> Comune in Piedmont, Italy

Costigliole d'Asti is a small Italian town in the Province of Asti, southern Piedmont. It lies about 13 kilometres south of the city of Asti in the Alto Monferrato, on the edge of the Langhe, in the alluvial plain of the river Tanaro southwards into the hills. The name derives from the Latin Corte Costeliolae.

Freisa is a red Italian wine grape variety grown in the Piedmont region of north-west Italy, primarily in Monferrato and in the Langhe, but also further north in the provinces of Turin and Biella. Freisa is a vigorous and productive vine whose round, blue-black grapes are harvested in early October. The three-lobed leaves are relatively small and the bunches are elongated in form. By the 1880s it had become one of the major Piedmontese grapes, and in that period its cultivation was stimulated by the vine’s resistance to the downy mildew caused by the Plasmopara viticola fungus. Wines made from the Freisa grape are red and usually somewhat sweet and lightly sparkling, or foaming. Still and fully sparkling versions are also produced, however, as are dry and more decidedly sweet styles. In the Canavese there is also a rosé which can be made primarily from Freisa according to Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) regulations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roero</span> Traditional region in Italy

Roero is a geographical area in the north-east corner of the province of Cuneo in Piedmont, north-west Italy. This hilly region is known for its wines and for its fruit production: particularly the peaches of Canale and the local variety of pear known as Madernassa which originated in the late eighteenth century in Vezza d'Alba. Strawberries are also grown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lombardy wine</span> Italian wine produced in Lombardy, Italy

Lombardy wine is the Italian wine produced in the Lombardy region of north central Italy. The region is known particularly for its sparkling wines made in the Franciacorta and Oltrepò Pavese areas. Lombardy also produces still red, white and rosé wines made from a variety of local and international grapes, including Nebbiolo wines in the Valtellina region and Trebbiano di Lugana white wines produced with the Chiaretto style rosé along the shores of Lake Garda. The wine region currently has 22 denominazione di origine controllata (DOC), 5 denominazione di origine controllata e garantita (DOCG) and at least 13 indicazione geografica tipica (IGT) designations. The main cities of the region are Milan, Bergamo and Brescia. The region annually produces around 1.3 million hectolitres of wine, more than the regions of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Marche, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Umbria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arneis</span> Variety of grape

Arneis is a white Italian wine grape variety originating from Piedmont, Italy. It is most commonly found in the hills of the Roero, northwest of Alba, where it is part of the white Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) wines of Roero. It can also be used to produce DOC wines in Langhe. Arneis is so called because it is regarded as a somewhat difficult variety to grow. It is a crisp and floral varietal, and has been grown for centuries in the region. The white wines made from the Arneis grape tend to be dry and full bodied with notes of pears and apricots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaja (wine)</span> Italian wine

Gaja is an Italian wine producer from the Piemonte region in the district of Langhe, chiefly producing a number of Barbaresco and Barolo wines, and later diversified into Brunello di Montalcino and "Super Tuscan" production. Its current owner and president Angelo Gaja is credited with developing techniques that have revolutionised winemaking in Italy, and terms such as "the undisputed king of Barbaresco", and "the man who dragged Piedmont into the modern world" have been applied to him, and whose Barbaresco wine is considered a status symbol on a par with Château Lafite Rothschild or Champagne Krug.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruno Giacosa</span> Italian wine producer (died 2018)

Bruno Giacosa was an Italian wine producer from the village Neive in the Langhe region (Piemonte), who produced a number of Barbaresco and Barolo wines, as well as bottlings of Arneis, Barbera, Dolcetto and a sparkling wine. Wines produced from owned vineyards are bottled under the label Azienda Agricola Falletto , wines from bought grapes or from grapes from leased vineyards under the label Casa Vinicola Bruno Giacosa. In terms of the production of Nebbiolo, Giacosa was considered a traditionalist. He has been described as the "Genius of Neive".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aldo Conterno</span>

Aldo Conterno was an Italian winemaker of eponymous wine producer Poderi Aldo Conterno from the Piemonte region in the district of Langhe, chiefly producing Barolo wines. The winery is located in Monforte d'Alba, and Conterno was widely ranked among Piemonte's foremost producers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brachetto d'Acqui</span> Geographically protected Italian wine

Brachetto d'Acqui is a red Italian wine that is classified as a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) since 1996 and previously a Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) region since 1969. It is produced in the Piedmont wine region around Acqui Terme in the province of Alessandria with some overlap into the province of Asti. The wine is produced from the Brachetto grape, a variety that is believed to be native to Piedmont, and can be still or sparkling with usually some sweetness.

References

  1. 1 2 3 H. Johnson Vintage: The Story of Wine pg 412-423 Simon and Schuster 1989. ISBN   0-671-68702-6.
  2. 1 2 3 4 M. Ewing-Mulligan & E. McCarthy Italian Wines for Dummies pg 38-41 Hungry Minds 2001. ISBN   0-7645-5355-0.
  3. ↑ San Damiano d'Asti climate http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=161161&refer=&units=metric
  4. ↑ Bordeaux climate http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=1570&refer=&units=metric
  5. 1 2 3 J. Robinson (ed) "The Oxford Companion to Wine" Third Edition pg 525-526 Oxford University Press 2006. ISBN   0-19-860990-6.
  6. ↑ Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita#Elenco di vini DOCG
  7. ↑ "Vini a Denominazione di origine, DOCG e DOC". Regione Piemonte (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  8. ↑ J. Robinson Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes pg 185 Oxford University Press 1996. ISBN   0198600984.
  9. ↑ J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours pgs 82, 910-911, 1106 Allen Lane 2012. ISBN   978-1-846-14446-2.
  10. ↑ M. Ewing-Mulligan & E. McCarthy Italian Wines for Dummies pg 52 Hungry Minds 2001. ISBN   0-7645-5355-0.
  11. 1 2 M. Ewing-Mulligan & E. McCarthy Italian Wines for Dummies pg 42-46 Hungry Minds 2001. ISBN   0-7645-5355-0.
  12. 1 2 M. Ewing-Mulligan & E. McCarthy Italian Wines for Dummies pg 47-51 Hungry Minds 2001. ISBN   0-7645-5355-0.
  13. ↑ K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 327 Workman Publishing 2001. ISBN   1-56305-434-5.
  14. ↑ M. Ewing-Mulligan & E. McCarthy Italian Wines for Dummies pg 62 Hungry Minds 2001. ISBN   0-7645-5355-0.
  15. 1 2 K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 331-333 Workman Publishing 2001. ISBN   1-56305-434-5.
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