Profile of Piedmont / Piemonte, Italian Wine Region
Piedmont Wine Map
The Piedmont Wine Region, particularly in the Langhe sub region, is the land of castles, vineyards and romantic
hills shrouded in mist. The Alps hover over this lovely wine region, and the region's names in
fact makes reference to this (Piemonte means "at the foot of the mountain"). In autumn, thick
fog hovers on the brightly colored hills (the red and orange vines actually "glow" with the
reflection of the snow capped Alps) and you can just make out the castle tops and hill topped
villages poking out at the top. Piedmont is located right in the northwest corner of Italy,
with Switzerland to the north, France just west and the beautiful Mediterranean coast line
and fishing villages of Liguria only an hour and a half south.
Piemonte is often called the "Burgundy of Italy", as it is most famous for its boutique
wines and outstanding gastronomy (Piedmont is home to the famous white truffle). In fact, the region
attracts gourmet travellers from all over the world who go there to simply eat and enjoy fine wine.
This type of traveller has been coined as a "Gastronaut", and Piedmont is firmly on the Gastro-map.
It's no surprise that the Slow Food movement (now an international phenomenon) began here (in the
amusingly named village of "Bra"). The three best areas in Piedmont (for scenery and
quality of wines) are the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato sub regions. The principal city in Piedmont is
Turin, a beautiful cosmopolitan city known for two main reasons- its superb chocolate makers, and for
the "Shroud of Turin", which attracts Catholic pilgrims regularly.
Winemaking in Piedmont is amazingly artisan and boutique. Production is microscopic, especially for the top wines, and most wineries are family owned. Vineyards tend to be very small and neatly kept. Entire
villages are dedicated to wine production and wine is a part of daily life. The harvest festivals in Piedmont are almost as wild as Carnaval, and nearly everyone participates in the local festivities.
The wine villages of Alba and Asti are two of the most well known, and are definitely good choices as
bases for exploring wineries, along with sightseeing. Alba holds the annual Truffle festival (which attracts chefs from all over the world) and Asti holds the medieval "Palio" festival, a lively event.
The super star wines from the region are the DOCG Barolo and Barbaresco Cru wines (named after the villages themselves where these Cru vineyards lie), both tremendously rich red wines made with the
native "Nebbiolo" grape. Angelo Gaja is without a doubt the most famous producer of both Barbaresco and Barolo wines. Piedmont is also home to many other native grape varietals such as Dolcetto and
Barbera (2 of the best red grapes, after the Nebbiolo) and Cortese (a white varietal used to make the deliciously fresh Gavi di Gavi wines) and another native white called "Arneis", known for being
highly perfumed and delicate.
Piedmont is an absolute must for food and wine lovers visiting Italy. While Tuscany is full of monumental art cities (such as Siena, Pisa, Florence, Lucca, etc), Piemonte's attraction is its small
charming villages (like Grinzane Cavour, La Morra, Verduno, etc) and "Slow Food" style of touring. The
food is simply out of this world, the landscapes are gorgeous, the wines are sublime and the people extremely friendly- all of the components one needs for an unforgettable gourmet tour!
Some of the most interesting sub appellations- DOCG Barolo, DOCG Barbaresco, DOCG Gavi, DOCG Asti Spumanti, DOC Barbera d ´Asti, Barbera d ´Alba, DOC Dolcetto d ´Asti, Dolcetto d´Alba, Dolcetto di Dogliani, DOC Freisa d ´Asti, DOC Roero, DOC Monferrato, DOC Langhe, DOC Erbaluce di Caluso, DOC Verduno Pelaverga, Grignolino d ´Asti
|
