Piedmont wines: Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera & more
A small region of fog, hills and hazelnut groves that makes some of the world's great reds, plus everyday Barbera, crisp whites and Moscato. Here is how to find your way in.
Why it works
Piedmont means 'at the foot of the mountains', and the Alps wrap round it on three sides. The climate is continental: cold, foggy winters, hot summers and long, cool autumns. That long autumn is the point. Grapes can hang into October, gaining ripe flavour and tannin while the cold nights keep their acidity high. Most Piedmont wine tastes fresh even when it is powerful, and that freshness is why it works so well at the table.
Nebbiolo, the great grape here, probably takes its name from nebbia, fog. Some say it is the autumn fog that settles in the valleys at harvest, others the dusty bloom on the ripe berries. It buds early and ripens late, so it only succeeds on the best south-facing slopes, where the sun hits the vines and the fog drains away below. Lesser slopes go to Barbera, Dolcetto or hazelnuts.
The heart of it is three hilly areas south of the river Po. The Langhe, round Alba, gives Barolo and Barbaresco on marl soils of clay and limestone. The Roero, across the Tanaro river, has looser, sandier soil and lighter, more fragrant wines, red and white. The Monferrato, round Asti and Casale, is Barbera and Moscato country. In 2014 UNESCO listed these vineyard landscapes as a World Heritage Site, for centuries of farming that shaped the hills you see today.
Food matters as much as the wine. Alba is also the home of the white truffle, Tuber magnatum, dug from the woods in autumn, and of hazelnuts, Castelmagno cheese, veal and egg pasta. The wines grew up beside this cooking: high acidity to cut butter and egg yolk, firm tannin for slow-braised meat. Drink them with food and they make sense.
What you need
- Large-bowled glass: A wide Burgundy-style bowl gives Nebbiolo's perfume room to open; a standard wine glass is fine for Barbera, Dolcetto and the whites.
- Decanter or jug: Young Barolo and Barbaresco soften with a few hours of air, and old bottles need decanting off their sediment.
- Good corkscrew: A two-step waiter's friend handles most corks; a two-pronged Ah-So is safer for old, crumbly ones.
- Wine thermometer or a cool cellar: Serve Nebbiolo at 16–18 °C, Barbera and Dolcetto a little cooler, whites at 8–10 °C and Moscato at 6–8 °C.
- A cool, dark place and patience: Good Barolo and Barbaresco want 8–15 years from the vintage to show their best; a cupboard at a steady 12–15 °C will do.
Step by step
Start with Dolcetto and Barbera
These are what Piedmontese families drink on a weekday. Dolcetto is soft, dark and grapey, with a bitter-almond finish and gentle acidity; the best come from Dogliani and Diano d'Alba. Barbera is the opposite: deep colour, little tannin and bright, mouth-watering acidity, with sour cherry and plum. Taste one of each with a plate of salumi and you will understand the region's everyday table.
Tip: Try a Barbera d'Asti next to a Barbera d'Alba. Asti versions are often juicier and brighter; Alba versions, grown beside Nebbiolo, tend to be fuller and rounder.
Move on to Langhe Nebbiolo
Langhe Nebbiolo is the same grape as Barolo, from younger vines or less famous slopes, with no minimum ageing. It shows you Nebbiolo's signature without the cost or the wait: a pale, translucent colour, a scent of roses, red cherry and dried herbs, then surprising grip from tannin and acidity. If you like it, you will like the big names.
Taste Barbaresco, then Barolo
Both are 100% Nebbiolo, grown a few kilometres apart. Barbaresco is aged at least 26 months and Barolo at least 38, and Barolo usually has a little more weight and tannin. Look for tar, roses, liquorice, dried cherries and, with age, leather, truffle and tobacco. Buy a bottle at least eight years old if you can, or decant a younger one for a few hours.
Tip: Open a Barbaresco and a Barolo from the same vintage side by side. The difference is small but real, and it trains your palate faster than any book.
Discover the whites
Arneis from the Roero is soft and fragrant, with pear, white flowers and almond, and is best within two years. Gavi, made from Cortese in the hills towards Liguria, is lean, citrusy and saline, good with fish and vegetable starters. For something more serious, look for Timorasso from the Colli Tortonesi, sold as Derthona: a full, mineral white that can age ten years, rescued from near extinction in the 1980s.
Keep sweet and sparkling for the end
Moscato d'Asti is lightly fizzy, gently sweet and only about 5.5% alcohol, tasting of fresh grapes, peach and orange blossom. Asti Spumante is the fully sparkling version, a little stronger. Brachetto d'Acqui is a sweet, pale red bubbly that smells of roses and strawberries. For dry fizz, Alta Langa is made by the traditional method, like Champagne, from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Tip: Serve Moscato d'Asti well chilled with fruit tarts, hazelnut cake or panettone. It is light enough to finish a long meal without weighing on it.
Try the local curiosities
Grignolino is pale, peppery and surprisingly tannic, a lovely chilled lunch red. Ruchè, from a handful of villages near Castagnole Monferrato, is floral and spicy. Freisa, a relative of Nebbiolo, can be dry or slightly sweet and fizzy. In the north, Alto Piemonte makes Nebbiolo under the name Spanna, in Gattinara and Ghemme: leaner, more mineral and often far cheaper than Barolo.
Visit in autumn
From late September to early November the hills turn gold and red, harvest is on, and the truffle season opens. Dolcetto is picked first, then Barbera, and Nebbiolo last, often well into October. Book cellar visits ahead; most producers are small families and are busiest at harvest.
Tip: Stay a night in Alba, Barolo or La Morra and walk the vineyard paths in the morning, when the fog fills the valleys and the hilltop villages float above it.
Buy from small producers
Piedmont is a region of family estates, many making a few thousand bottles from vineyards they have farmed for generations. Buying at the cellar door is usually cheaper than in shops, and you can taste first. Ask for a producer's Barbera or Langhe Nebbiolo; it tells you their style and is often the best value they make.
Tip: Ask about the vintage. Hot years such as 2003 and 2017 give riper, earlier-drinking wines; cooler, classic years such as 2010 and 2016 need longer in the cellar.
The main Piedmont wines
| Wine | Grape | Style | Ageing / drink | Food |
|---|
| Barolo DOCG | Nebbiolo | Full, high tannin and acid; tar, roses, cherry | 38 months (18 in wood); Riserva 62. Drink 8–30 years | Brasato al Barolo, tajarin with truffle, game |
| Barbaresco DOCG | Nebbiolo | Slightly lighter and more fragrant than Barolo | 26 months (9 in wood); Riserva 50. Drink 6–25 years | Agnolotti del plin, roast veal, truffle eggs |
| Langhe Nebbiolo DOC | Nebbiolo | Pale, perfumed, firm but approachable | No minimum. Drink 2–6 years | Carne cruda, salumi, mushroom risotto |
| Roero DOCG | Nebbiolo | Lighter, softer, very aromatic | 20 months (6 in wood). Drink 3–10 years | Rabbit, roast chicken, porcini |
| Gattinara / Ghemme DOCG | Nebbiolo (Spanna) | Lean, mineral, long-lived | About 3 years. Drink 6–20 years | Polenta with braised meat, Toma cheese |
| Barbera d'Asti DOCG / d'Alba DOC | Barbera | Deep colour, low tannin, high acid | Drink 2–8 years; Nizza and Superiore longer | Pizza, bagna càuda, bollito misto |
| Dogliani DOCG / Dolcetto d'Alba | Dolcetto | Soft, dark fruit, almond finish | Drink 1–4 years | Salumi, vitello tonnato, everyday pasta |
| Grignolino | Grignolino | Pale, peppery, tannic; serve cool | Drink 1–3 years | Antipasti, fritto misto |
| Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG | Ruchè | Floral, spicy, soft | Drink 1–5 years | Spiced dishes, aged cheese |
| Roero Arneis DOCG | Arneis | Dry white; pear, flowers, almond | Drink 1–2 years | Vegetable antipasti, freshwater fish |
| Gavi DOCG | Cortese | Dry, crisp, citrus, saline | Drink 1–3 years | Seafood, pesto, vegetable frittata |
| Derthona (Colli Tortonesi) | Timorasso | Full, mineral, ageworthy white | Drink 2–10 years | Veal, risotto, mature cheese |
| Moscato d'Asti DOCG | Moscato Bianco | Frizzante, sweet, about 5.5% abv | Drink within 1 year | Fruit tarts, hazelnut cake |
| Asti DOCG (Spumante) | Moscato Bianco | Fully sparkling, sweet, about 7% abv | Drink within 1 year | Panettone, festive desserts |
| Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG | Brachetto | Sweet, sparkling red; roses, strawberry | Drink within 1 year | Strawberries, chocolate |
| Alta Langa DOCG | Pinot Noir, Chardonnay | Dry, traditional-method sparkling | At least 30 months on lees | Aperitivo, fried starters |
Barolo villages and their character
| Village | Typical character | Well-known crus |
|---|
| La Morra | Perfumed, elegant, softer tannin; often approachable earliest | Brunate, Cerequio, Rocche dell'Annunziata |
| Barolo | Balanced, classic, with both perfume and grip | Cannubi, Sarmassa, Brunate |
| Castiglione Falletto | The middle ground: structured yet fine, very complete | Monprivato, Rocche di Castiglione, Villero |
| Monforte d'Alba | Powerful, dense and long-lived | Bussia, Ginestra, Mosconi |
| Serralunga d'Alba | The most structured and austere; needs the longest ageing | Francia, Lazzarito, Vigna Rionda |
Troubleshooting
My Barolo is harsh and drying
It is probably too young. Nebbiolo has some of the highest tannin of any red grape, and in its first years it can grip like strong tea. Decant it two to four hours ahead, serve it at 16–18 °C rather than warm, and drink it with fatty, protein-rich food, which softens the tannin. Better still, keep the rest of the case for another five years.
It looks too pale to be serious
Pale is normal. Nebbiolo has thin skins and few of the pigments that make other reds dark, so even a great Barolo looks like a light red in the glass and turns brick-orange at the rim within a few years. Judge it by the scent and the grip on your gums. A very dark Barolo usually means a modern, heavily oaked style, not a better wine.
Barbera or Nebbiolo with pizza?
Barbera. Its high acidity matches the tomato, and its low tannin will not clash with the cheese or turn bitter. Nebbiolo's tannin and delicate perfume are wasted on pizza and fight with tomato. Save it for meat, mushrooms and truffles.
Moscato d'Asti is too sweet for me
Serve it colder, at 6–8 °C, which makes it taste less sweet and fresher, and drink it with dessert rather than on its own. A dessert as sweet as the wine makes the wine taste drier. If you still want less sugar, try a dry Moscato labelled Piemonte, or Alta Langa for bubbles.
The Barolo smells of vanilla and toast, not roses
That comes from new French barriques. In the 1980s and 90s some producers moved from large old casks, called botti, to small new oak, starting a long argument known as the Barolo wars. Today most sit in between. If you prefer the classic perfume, look for producers who age in large old botti.
My old bottle is cloudy with bits in the glass
That is sediment, tannin and pigment that settled out with age, and it is harmless. Stand the bottle upright for a day, then decant it slowly over a light, stopping when the sediment reaches the neck.
