Piedmont: Birth of Slow Food…and More

Regrettably, Piedmont is not on the destination list of most American tourists.  This may be in part due to Rick Steves, who has yet to include this gem of an area in his popular books and television travel programs.  Grazie, Ricardo!  Even if you’re not a foodie or a wine-lover, Piedmont offers many gems.  If you’re a foodie or oenophile, Piedmont may just be the most exciting region in all of Italy.

Most foodies know about of the Slow Food movement, but how many knew it began in Piedmont?  The opening of a fast food restaurant in the heart of Rome in the mid-1980’s touched a real nerve with a journalist from Piedmont.   Shortly thereafter, the writer began Slow Food.  Today, the organization is in 150 countries and its mission is to preserve traditional and regional cuisine.

                           Wine-Knows will watch the birth of artisinal chocolate at a rock-star producer

Piedmont’s traditional cuisine is a treasure-trove of culinary delights.  Home of the premier white truffle, the world’s most expensive gastronomic item, Piedmont is also the area for some Italy’s finest chocolate and hazelnuts.  In addition to high-end artisanal chocolates, even Nutella and Ferrero Rocher are made here.  The area is also the source of Italy’s most illustrious rice.  Preferred by many Michelin-star chefs throughout Italy for risotto because of its firmer texture, canaroli rice is grown in Piedmont.

                Piedmont's Alps provide the perfect situation for a plethora of cow, sheep & goat cheeses 

Piedmont means the “foot of the mountain.”   The foothills of the Alps shared with France and Switzerland, also produce some outstanding cheeses.  Even in a country recognized for its cheeses, Piedmont is a standout.

                     Eataly offers a cornucopia of the very best food products from all of Italy

The Piedmont district is the birthplace for Italy’s most famous food emporium-kitchen shop, Eataly.  Think Williams-Sonoma meets Whole Foods, with the addition of some mind-boggling dining venues such as a mozzarella-bar, wood-fired pizzeria, seafood eatery, and a pasta-centric restaurant.

Last, but not least, Piedmont is the pinnacle for several of Italy’s most magnificent wines, Barolo and Barbaresco.  These wines are some of the country’s most complex reds…and expensive. 

Wine-Knows will be visiting Piedmont next autumn (2018) at the time of their world-renown Truffle Festival.  One of the highlights will be a private truffle hunt into the forest with a “trifalou” (truffle hunter) and his dog.   Foodies will be thrilled with visits to Piedmont’s super-star chocolate-maker, as well as a producer of canaroli rice.  Naturally, we won’t miss Eataly…and there will be a dance-card sprinkled with the district’s world-class wine producers.  At the moment, there are only 5 open spots on this trip.    www.WineKnowsTravel.com

Barbera---the Other Red Wine of Piedmont

Barbera is a type of grape and a wine.  The varietal is grown in several parts of Italy, however, it reaches rock-star status in the northwest district of Piedmont.  Native to Piedmont, Barbera is often considered less prestigious than the area’s Barolo & Barbaresco (see my last BLOG posting).  Nonetheless, Barbera is an appealing alternative as it can be drunk much younger.

Barbera is a varietal of interesting contradictions.  Its skin is rich with dark pigments which results in deeply colored wine.  The first incongruity relates to its color;  looking at this very dark red wine one expects it to have lots of tannins (that mouth-puckering feeling of astringency), but, surprisingly, it has very few tannins.  Another contradiction is the grape has lots of acids (which result in a “crisp” taste to the wine).   High acids are more commonly found in white varietals.   If one were blind-folded and tasted Barbera you would think it was a white wine because on its low tannins and high acids (crispness), both associated with whites.  

I’m a raving fan of the Barbera varietal in Piedmont because of its rich berry-cherry and spicy flavors.  Also, due to its high acids, it pairs beautifully with the region’s hearty food.   It doesn’t age as well as its counterparts Barolo and Barbaresco, however, many Piedmont producers are now aging Barbera in wooden casks which imparts tannin to the wine---this increases the wine’s longevity, as well adds further complexity.

Barolo & Barbaresco---Made From the Same Grape

Barolo is one of the world’s greatest red wines---it’s made in Italy’s northern Piedmont district in the village of Barolo.  Barbaresco, another magnificent red wine, is made from grapes grown <10 miles away in the village of Barbaresco.  Both of these world-class wines are made 100% from the nebbiolo grape.

Often referred to as the “King of wines,” Barolo is a complex powerhouse chocked full of nuances of ripe strawberries, roses, chocolate, spices and occasionally even white truffles.   Barbaresco, has shades of the same aeromatic and flavor profile, however, it is usually a little less full bodied and less tannic than Barolo.  If Barolo is the King, then Barbaresco is the Queen. 

Nebbiolo ripens later than most other grapes, thus the Wine-Knows tour in October is perfectly timed for the harvest of this grape.  We’ll be visiting the small town of Barolo (with its medieval castle that has now been turned into a wine bar), as well as the vineyard-draped Barbaresco village.  By the end of the trip, folks will know if they prefer the King or the Queen.   

Next BLOG posting:  Piedmont’s other red grape---BARBERA

Barolo & Barbaresco: World-Class Reds from the Same Grape

                                                                                                                                                                                

A well made Barolo and Barbaresco are among the greatest red wines in the world.  Both are made from the nebbiolo grape in Italy’s northwest region of Piemonte.  If the nebbiolo is grown near the communes surrounding the town of Barolo, the wine is called Barolo.  If its grown in the perimeters surrounding the village of Barbaresco, the nebbiolo becomes a Barbaresco. 

Barolo, often described as the “King of Italian Wines,” was one of the first wines given a special status in 1980 by the Italian government.  Barolo wines have stringent rules for production, one of which is mandatory aging.  A Barolo must age for a minimum of 3 years prior to being released, 5 years if it’s a Riserva.   Work the numbers and you can see why a Barolo is often a wallet-full-of-Euro’s.

Like Barolo, Barbaresco, the other exceptional wine made from nebbiolo, is also very pricey. Although  Barolo and Barbaresco are located only 10 miles apart, the climate and geography produce some distinct differences.  Tannins in a young Barbaresco are not quite as harsh as a Barolo--because of this the Italian wine laws allow Barbaresco to age one less year than Barolo).  Barbaresco, the more feminine of the two, is generally more approachable to drink at an earlier age but on the flip side it doesn’t age as long as a Barolo. 

Both Barolo and Barbaresco are complex, full bodied wines.  Nebbiolo in these areas results in intriguing aromas and flavors:  ripe strawberries, roses, mint and/or eucalyptus, licorice, tobacco, and occasionally a hint of white truffles.   Favorite producers?  Try Prunotto, Spinetta, and Elio Grasso---we’ll visit all of them on the October 2012 Truffle Tour.