January, ah January, what to do after the hedonistic Christmas and New Year period? January always seems like a lost month, almost sad as we all realize it is back to work for another year. December seemed so wonderful with all of the Christmas decorations, carols, parties and then the magic of fireworks on New Year’s Eve (sigh); can it be a weekly happening?! Well, the solution to this anti-climax is to jump into the car and head to one of the many surrounding wine growing countries such as Italy, France, Austria and Germany to name a few! Really, we are so lucky here in Switzerland, smack bang in the middle of Europe and able to hop to fantastic wine region in a couple hours.

One of my favorite places to visit is Piedmont (Piemonte in Italian), in the North West of Italy. Piedmont, which in Italian means ‘at the foot of the mountains’, is food and wine paradise, where it’s all about locally grown produce and traditionally made food; to eat at MacDonald’s here is a sin! The ‘Langhe’, as the locals affectionately call the region, is absolutely stunning as well. Endless hills covered in vines seem to roll into one another, and each hill is capped by wonderful villages filled with cobbled streets and typically rustic buildings from the turn of the century and beyond. Each season is contrasting; winter snow covers the vineyards, spring is full of new life as the vegetation that was dormant during the winter months slowly wakes up, summer is hot and full of activity as the vineyards come to life as the wineries prepare the vineyards, and autumn is full of the sweet perfume of fermenting wine and the heady smell of truffles hanging in the air. Piedmont truly is a place to awaken the senses, take a break and get back to what life is all about, enjoying one’s self.

My love affair with the region started back in 2000 when I had just finished working as a winemaker in Germany. Some friends invited me along for a weekend of food and wine, it was magical and my first experience of the ‘Italian’ way of life. Also, before visiting the region, I knew very little about the wine, food and all else that Piedmont had to offer. It created a thirst to learn more and share the experience with countless others, which over the ensuing years has given me great pleasure to do so. Now, so as you can enjoy Piedmont with as much gusto as I do, I’ll give you a brief overview of the region, the wines to try, my favorite places to eat and stay, and those wonderful insider tips that will make your time there even more enjoyable!

The Piedmonte region divides into two major areas, Alba in the southwest (home to Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera and Dolcetto) and Asti to the southeast. First, let’s have a look at the wines from the Alba region, and then the wines from the Asti region.

Piedmonte is home to Nebbiolo (thought to derive its name from the Piedmontese word ‘nebbia which means ‘fog’; during harvest in October a deep, intense fog sets into the Langhe) the regions noblest grape variety, and with Sangiovese grape of Tuscany, it is one of the varieties responsible for most of Italy’s greatest wines. There are 12 Nebbiolo based regions (DOCs or DOCGs; Italian wine law lingo) in Piedmont with the two most well known expressions of the grape being the DOCG wines of Barolo and Barbaresco. Barbaresco is considered the lighter of the two with normal bottling requiring only a minimum of 9 months in oak and a total of 21 months of aging all together (oak and bottle); Riserva wines require minimum of 45 months aging in total. Barolo, however, requires a minimum of 12 months in oak and 36 months in total of aging (oak and bottle); Riserva requiring a total of 57 months minimum for aging. The Barolo region is three times larger than the DOCG of Barbaresco, and there are some distinct differences. Perhaps the single most important aspect that sets the wines apart is the terroir and the vineyards that produce the grapes and wine. Barolo has been called "The King of Wines and The Wine of Kings". It is often thought of as such with it's massive tannins, high acidity and high alcohol content. Yet ripe Barolo is wonderfully fragrant and deep and massive in the mouth. If there is a knock on Barolo, it would be it's lack of finesse. Conversely, Barbaresco could be considered the Queen to Barolo. While not as massive, great Barbaresco exhibits an elegance, grace, and finesse not surpassed by many wines. The vineyards, aging process, and vinification techniques of Barbaresco often make the wine approachable somewhat sooner than its sibling Barolo, but the best examples of this wine will still live and thrive for 20 years beyond the vintage.

To be continued in early February.

---