Overview
Famed for the powerful and intense Nebbiolo grape, made primarily in the Barolo and Barbaresco DOCGs. The wines of Barbaresco are generally lighter and more approachable than Barolo, which are renowned for their aging potential. The region is also known for the Asti DOCG, both dry, sparkling Asti Spumante and slightly sweet Moscato d’Asti.

Expect
Arguably the next big thing in red wine. Nebbiolo (Barolo etc) possesses the most expressive, complex and fragrant nose in the business plus huge ageing potential. Barbera has a mouth-filling depth of sweet fruit balanced by classy tannins. The white wines (Arneis etc) are niche classics.

The Good
At is best Piedmont rivals Bordeaux for the ultimate in full bodied cellaring wines but with far more of a safety net – consistency and lower priced quality. The affordable offerings (usually not Nebbiolo but earlier drinking varieties such as Dolcetto and Barbera) have come a million miles and you can drink well at most price points.

The Bad
The tannins in Nebbiolo can get out of hand and many of the more traditional producers produce lean, leathery wines often marred by faults and unlikely to ever impress a new world palate. Barolo in particular is certainly not cheap.

Verdict
A must try region with wines that will provide new aromas and flavours whilst still possessing a familiar depth and richness. Dolcetto and Barbera offer great value and classy drinking whilst Nebbiolo deserves its place as one of the world’s great grapes

The Details

Location
Located in the north-west corner of Italy and bordering both Switzerland and France, Piedmont region is hemmed in by both the Alps and the Apennines. The capital of the region is Turin, however most of the winemaking is focussed in the south and east, around Asti and Alba.

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Map of Piedmont wine region. Click to open larger image in new window.

Climate
The climate in Piedmont is fairly rigid, with distinct changes in season. Winters are cold and snowy, while summers are generally hot and dry. Spring and autumn are milder, with fog common during the autumn harvest.

Main Varietals
Barbera is the most widely planted grape, while Nebbiolo is the best known and is thought to be native to the region. Most white production is of sparkling wines, and Moscato and Dolcetto are the most common varietals.

Wines made from Nebbiolo are generally high in tannins and quite acidic, but are balanced with a fullness of flavour. They are similar to Pinot Noir, in that they are never opaque, so are not deep in colour. The long ripening time of the grape means natural alcohol strengths in excess of 15% are common in some vintages.

Wines

Piedmont is probably Italy’s most admired wine region, and has 9 DOCG and 43 DOC, with over 80% of the region falling under these classifications. There are no IGT classifications in Piedmont.

Barolo DOCG
Barolo is a small wine region and production is centred around the town of Alba in the south east. Made from Nebbiolo, Barolo are big, gutsy wines which can be very tannic when young, but generally age well.

Barbaresco DOCG
Also made from Nebbiolo, Barbaresco are generally more elegant, approachable wines than Barolo especially when young, due to the grape ripening slightly earlier in Barbaresco. However, these wines still have a minimum strength of 12.5%, and are quite tannic and high in acidity.

Asti DOCG
Once Italy’s best known wine, Asti is a slightly sweet, sparkling wine made from the Moscato grape. The DOCG applies to both sparkling Asti Spumante and softly bubbling Moscato d’Asti. With annual production of around 60 million litres, this wine ranks second only to Chianti in terms of volume. The best and ripest grapes are used for Moscato d’Asti, while Asti Spumante is a blend of Moscato from many different regions and of varying quality.

Other regions
Piedmont’s most planted varietal, Barbera, is grown in almost all of Piedmont. The best examples are under the Barbera d’Alba and Barbera d’Asti DOCs.