Nebbiolo Wine Region: the taste and the characteristics
Nebbiolo is the power grape that backs the Barolo and Barbaresco wines and is hardly obtainable outside the region of Piedmont. The name of this grape is coined from “nebbia,” which is the Italian word for fog, a common phenomenon in the said region. Nebbiolo is also a notoriously persnickety grape, one which requires sheltered south-facing sites to thrive.
The produce is often at its best on the generously drained calcareous marls to the north and south of Alba in the DOCG zones of Barbaresco and Barolo. It is both needless and needful to say at this point that Nebbiolo is a red wine, and you know just why. Well, the wine was born in the mountains of northern Italy in the famous region known as Piedmont. This region, in question, is quite some popular one on the backs of its Barolo and Barbaresco wine. These can fetch like hundreds of dollars per bottle.
Nonetheless, what many people do not know is that the Nebbiolo is the sole grape used to make high-end wines. Most people do not also realize that the only disparity is the perceived quality of one wine over the other, in resemblance to Burgundy’s Cru classifications.
The production of Barolo and Barbaresco from Nebbiolo grapes
Barolo and its half brother Barbaresco can only be produced in a few villages in the Piedmont region. If your vineyard is located outside all of these villages, then the chances are you will not be able to make these two Nebbiolo siblings. But, Nebbiolo itself is not selective for places, as it is grown all over the region, not just in the rural settlements that use it to create high-end wines.
As many a winemaker in Italy have said, the Piemontese sell their expensive Barolo and Barbaresco on the global market, leaving the precious, delicious and affordable Nebbiolo for themselves. This is the wine the natives drink whenever they have an occasion.
The production area of Barolo and Barbaresco has been officially delimited in the Geographical Mentions Disciplinary of 2010. Similarly, Nebbiolo d’Alba is also produced in certain areas of Piedmont such as Canale, Monticello d’Alba, Piobesi d’Alba, Priocca, Vezza d’Alba, Sinio and Govone and by that of the municipalities of Alba, Bra , Diano d’Alba, Grinzane Cavour, Guarene, La Morra, Magliano Alfieri, Monforte d’Alba, Roero, Novello, Roddi, Sommariva Perno and Verduno, in the province of Cuneo.
Where Barolo and Barbaresco can be produced
Barolo wine, born from the idea of Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour and Giulia Colbert Falletti, marquise of Barolo. The only municipalities that can produce Barolo are Barolo, La Morra, Monforte, Serralunga d’Alba, Castiglione Falletto, Novello, Grinzane Cavour and to a lesser extent Verduno, Diano d’Alba, Cherasco and Roddi.
As for Barbaresco, instead entered in the DOCG wine list (Denomination of controlled and guaranteed origin) in 1980 it can be produced exclusively in the municipalities of Barbaresco, Treiso, Neive and part of the municipality of Alba.
If you are in Piedmont do not miss the opportunity to visit the places of production and processing of Nebbiolo wine. Plan a tour of the Langhe wineries to taste Barolo and Barbaresco wine. During the wine tours in the Langhe, you can have a local guide who will explain the production process of these wines famous all over the world, starting from the harvest, the September harvest of the grapes, up to the bottling.
Nebbiolo Wine Characteristics
If you have a smell for Nebbiolo, you would know that one of the most interesting aspects of the wine is its scent. This is some wine that literally smells like its a bed of roses, making it a wonderful drink item to celebrate special occasions and just about ideal for the decanter. Added to this notable fragrance is that the wine is rich in acid content, mouth-drying tannins and earthy flavors that never fail to complement all types of food.
If you are making a prime rib roast, Nebbiolo will help you wash it down as beautifully as possible. Or is it a rack of lamb you are eating? This wine is also there to match all the flavors. Even if its a rich mushroom lasagna, it still has you covered, ever. Well, Nebbiolo goes with almost any dish you are eating is the best friend of this red wine.
Barolo and Barbaresco may be the wine for the kings and queens, as their price tags rightly prove so. But Nebbiolo own price says it is the wine for the rest of us that are not living in sand castles and ivory-coated palaces, starting from as low as $20.
Nebbiolo wine is a red wine produced from the processing of the homonymous grape:
- Color: ruby red
- Bouquet: fruity, red fruits
- Taste: dry, structured and elegant
