TABLE OF CONTENTS
Best Piedmontese Wine Types
This full-bodied, red wine is made from Nebbiolo grapes in a small area in Piedmont with a unique soil and climate conditions. It has been produced since the 19th century, and soon after its invention, it became a favorite among the Italian and European nobility.
According to Italian DOCG regulations, Barolo needs to matured for at least 36 months, while those aged for five years carry the prestigious Riserva label. It is a robust, but elegant wine, which is very high in tannins that soften with aging.
THE BEST Barolo Wine Appellations
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Barbera d’Asti (DOCG) is an Italian red wine produced on the hilly vineyards in the provinces of Asti and Alessandria in Piedmont. The minimum of 90% Barbera grapes must be used in its production, while the other 10% may be made up with Freisa, Grignolino or Dolcetto varieties.
The wines are mostly ruby red and well-balanced, with notes of red and black fruits, while Superiore varieties, which are aged for at least six months in wood, may have hints of spiciness. The wine pairs well with dark meat, mushrooms, matured cheese, and braised greens.
Barbera is the most common grape in Piedmont and the third most-planted grape in the country. It is used in varietals and blends. Nowadays, it is considered to have great potential to produce excellent quality wines, although it was once considered as a grape designated for rustic, everyday wine.
Dark Barbera-based wines are typically low in tannins and high in acidity. The flavors usually include a combination of raspberries, blackberries, cherries, and strawberries, sometimes with a hint of spices. Oak-aging will typically improve the tannin structure in Barbera wines.
Nebbiolo is the highly-praised Italian grape that is mostly cultivated and gives the best results in its native Piedmont. Wines made with this red-skinned grape tend to be powerful, age-worthy, and high in tannins as well as acidity. Distinctive aromas found in Nebbiolo wines are often described as tar and roses, with the accompanying notes of cherries, violets, leather, truffles, licorice, and undergrowth.
The grape is mostly used as a varietal, and it is best known as the backbone of the exceptional and expensive Barolo and Barbaresco. A small amount of Nebbiolo is also cultivated in California and Australia. Nebbiolo-based wines should be paired with rich meat dishes, but they can also work well with acidic or mushroom-based sauces, moderately spicy Asian cuisine, truffles, and aged cheese.
THE BEST Nebbiolo Wine Varieties
Made entirely from the Moscato Bianco grapes, Moscato d'Asti is a fragrant, not overly sweet fizzante (semi-sparkling) wine that is produced mainly in the province of Asti and the nearby Alessandria and Cuneo. The wine is delicate, floral, and aromatic, with hints of peach, apple, pear, pineapple, sage, lime, and orange.
Because it is sweet and low in alcohol, it naturally pairs with desserts, especially those made with apples, berries, peaches, hazelnut, and lemon, but it also works well with fresh salads, charcuterie, antipasto plates, or cheese. The wine should not be confused with Asti Spumante, a fully sparkling version that falls under the same Asti DOCG.
This powerful red wine is produced from Nebbiolo grapes grown on the nutrient-rich soils around the city of Barbaresco in Piedmont. For a long time, the wine was considered as the less prestigious, lighter cousin of the Nebbiolo-based Barolo, but in the 1960s Barbaresco managed to emerge from Barolo’s shadow and position itself as an approachable, good-quality wine.
According to the Italian DOCG regulations, Barbaresco needs to mature for at least two years, while those aged for four years carry the label Riserva. Barbaresco wines are often described as refined and elegant, but also rich in acidity and tannins, with spicy flavors and aromas of roses, fruits, licorice, and truffles.
THE BEST Barbaresco Wine Appellations
This red Italian wine is produced in the DOC region that surrounds the city of Alba and in some areas overlaps with Barolo and Barbaresco wine regions. The wine is produced with a minimum of 85% Barbera grapes, with the only permitted addition of Nebbiolo. Barbera d’Alba wines are age worthy and well-balanced, with high acidity, refined tannins, and typical floral and fruit notes, which may evolve with age.
Though they are bold and rich, the acidity in the wine makes it work well with charcuterie, cheese, poultry, risottos, and pasta dishes.
In the past known as bianchissimo (the whitest), Martini Bianco is a variety of sweetened dry vermouth—fortified and aromatized wine—that was first introduced in 1910. Although the exact recipe is a closely guarded secret, Martini Bianco is made from filtered white wine that is sweetened and infused with different botanicals that include vanilla flowers, spices, herbs, citrus zest, barks, and roots.
This clear drink is characterized by its layered combination of flavors and aromas that include spicy, floral, citrus, and sweet vanilla notes. In Europe, Martini Bianco is usually enjoyed as an aperitif, preferably served neat with ice and orange peel.
Vermouth is a quintessential European aperitif. This sweetened and fortified wine is aromatized with various botanicals, and it is usually classified as red (sweet) or white (dry). The origin of vermouth is ancient and closely connected to wormwood wine, but the first official vermouth was produced in Turin by Antonio Benedetto Carpano.
He aromatized his wine with various herbs and spices and started selling his red vermouth in 1786. The drink became an instant success among the locals and has since only grown in popularity. In the years that followed, Joseph Noilly introduced the new French-style vermouth that is now mostly known as white or dry vermouth.
VARIATIONS OF Vermouth
THE BEST Vermouth Fortified Wines
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Distilleria Sibona
Civico 10 Vermouth Di Torino Rosso Superiore
London Spirits Competition - Gold 2024
Dolcetto is a red grape that is mostly cultivated in Piedmont. Although its name translates to a sweet little one, the variety is used for the production of dry, medium-bodied red wines. Dolcetto based wines are usually deep ruby and have well-balanced acidity.
They may vary from soft and fruity styles to more intense and powerful expressions. The flavors and aromas found in Dolcetto wines include a combination of red and dark berries, plums, and violets. They will usually have a subtly bitter finish. Dolcetto wines can be enjoyed young, and though they are sometimes aged for longer periods, it is generally considered that they are best consumed within three to five years of age.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Best Piedmontese Wine Producers
Distilleria Sibona is one of the oldest distilleries in the Piedmont region, located in the heart of Roero. It is renowned for its artisanal production of grappa, utilizing fresh pomace from prestigious local wineries. Sibona holds a unique historical distillation license and prides itself on its deep connection to traditional methods while incorporating modern techniques to ensure high-quality products.
Their grappa is aged in various types of barrels, including those used for sherry, port, and whiskey, enhancing the flavor profile and creating distinctive spirits.
AWARDS
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ISC-International Spirits Challenge - Double Gold
2020
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IWSC- International wine & spirit competition - Spirit Gold
2024, 2022, 2021, 2019
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IWSC- International wine & spirit competition - Spirit Gold Outstanding
2024, 2023, 2022, 2021
BEST Distilleria Sibona Spirits
Poderi Aldo Conterno is a prestigious winery located in the heart of the Barolo region, specifically in Bussia Soprana, Monforte d'Alba, Piedmont, Italy. Established in 1969 by Aldo Conterno, the estate is now managed by his sons: Franco, Stefano, and Giacomo, who continue the family tradition.
The winery spans 25 hectares of vineyards situated at elevations between 350 to 400 meters above sea level. The soil is rich in clayey marl and limestone with layers of sand, contributing to the unique character of their wines.
AWARDS
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James Suckling - 98 points
2024
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Falstaff - 100
BEST Poderi Aldo Conterno Wines
Giuseppe Rinaldi is one of the Piedmont’s most highly regarded producers and a leading standard-bearer of old-school Langhe wines. Giuseppe ‘Beppe’ Rinaldi, a true traditionalist, took over the estate from his father in 1992, and continued making the traditional-styled wines that had become increasingly sought-after.
Rinaldi always believed that the best wines from Barolo were blends from several sites and his most prominent wines were blends from the Brunate and Le Coste, and the Cannubi and Ravera vineyards respectively, and were labeled as such.
AWARDS
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Falstaff - 100
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Falstaff - 99
BEST Giuseppe Rinaldi Wines
AWARDS
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Falstaff - 100
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Falstaff - 99
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Vivino - 4.7
AWARDS
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Frankfurt International Trophy - Grand Gold
2024, 2022, 2021
BEST Azienda Vitivinicola Sergio del Casale Wines
AWARDS
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Decanter World Wine Awards - Platinum
2020
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Falstaff - 99
BEST Azienda Agricola Vigna Rionda Wines
AWARDS
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Berlin Wine Trophy - Grand Gold
2018, 2017
BEST Barbanera Srl Wines
AWARDS
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Decanter World Wine Awards - Best in Show
2022, 2017
BEST Ciabot Berton Wines
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Best Piedmontese Wines
AWARDS
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Frankfurt International Trophy - Grand Gold
2024, 2022
AWARDS
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Decanter World Wine Awards - Best in Show
2017
AWARDS
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Decanter World Wine Awards - Best in Show
2019
AWARDS
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Decanter World Wine Awards - Best in Show
2020
AWARDS
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Decanter World Wine Awards - Best in Show
2021
AWARDS
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Decanter World Wine Awards - Best in Show
2022
AWARDS
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Decanter World Wine Awards - Best in Show
2023
AWARDS
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Decanter World Wine Awards - Best in Show
2023
AWARDS
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Decanter World Wine Awards - Best in Show
2024
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