Piedmont

Forza Piemonte! Lots of wines from Piedmont in northwest Italy. Lots of good wines. Some wine buyers get confused. A few simple rules...


Good Names

Most of the big guys make good wines of every stripe, from an every day Dolcetta to a big, special Barolo.


Barolo is the Bomb

The most famous grape in Piedmont is the noble Nebbiolo, which makes the long-lived Barolo and Barbaresco

A few names to look out for:
Baudanna
Brovia (Garblet Sue RP 95 pts)
Clerico (WS calls the Ciabot Mentin Ginestra "spectacular." Also try Pajana, which Piedmont review calls "potent, massive, super-ripe.")
Gaja (especially Sperss)
Vietti (especially Brunate and Rocche, WS 95 pts)

Food & Wine asks (and answers) "Is Barolo Still Italy's Greatest Wine?"


Carema is the Creme de la Creme

From the Carema DOC in Piedmont, this is a small area that produces a silky, gentle red, at least 85% Nebbiolo grapes. On the lighter, more graceful side, but nonetheless a Barolo by another name. Read the DoBianchi post and view a slideshow here.

Small region, not a lot widely available.
Luigi Ferrando is a good choice:
Empire Wine
Astor
Amanti
Orsolanti, a smaller producer, is also available in the US.


Dolcetto d'Alba

Dolcetto is a black wine grape variety widely grown in Piedmont. The name means "little sweet one," though it is nearly always a dry wine.

Brovia "Vigna Villej" (Available at PJ Wine and Astor)
Clerico Visadi (try it at Char No. 4)
Elio Altare


Barbera d’Asti

Poderi Alasia "Rive" (try at Gabriel's NYC)
La Spinetta Ca di Pian (the one with the rhino on the label) is good, affordable and, according to WA, "ripe and juicy, with harmonious acidity framing the dark fruit." Try Wine.com.

Arneis is Nice

Dry white made from the Arneis grape. Clerico, Vietti and other big guys make some of the best examples.  Damilano Lange is a good entry level contender, available at Wine.com. More on the grape and denominazione here. 


Nebbiolo Further Afield

While not exactly in Piedmont (in fact his area is about an ibex’s hoof south of Switzerland), Valtellina in Lombardy makes expressive Nebbiolo wine, like Ar Pe Pe. Wine merchants say "racy, light, and overflowing with perfume" and not too tannic. We say a good wine to drink young, like tonight.


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Going There? Check out Forbes trip advisory.

Great appreciation of Mountain Barolo on the Saignee blog.

Beyond Piedmont. Looking for an affordable smooth red from Sicily or Veneto?