Blog: Piedmont | Wine region

Far the Alpine arc swings along the Italian-French border to the peaks of Valais, and from the mountains the valleys fan down to the plains of Novara and Vercelli, where the rice farmer channels the waters of all the innumerable streams to his crops. To the south, the plain borders on the lovely hills of Monferrato and Langhe, a landscape reminiscent of Tuscany in its serenity. Certainly, world-famous industries have settled in the area around Turin, the Piedmontese capital, but in his basic attitude the Piedmontese has remained peasant.

This is also evident in his cuisine. Strongly seasoned and strong are therefore the courts, much roast comes on dne table, and garlic belongs in the sauces. With butter is cooked in the osterias, something in the 'Cannon d'oro', in the 'Cavallo bianco', in the 'Ramo secco' or as they all may be called, in the old trattorias, where the Cuoco and the Padrona are still the main person behind the roasting and baking ovens. And then there are the white truffles from Alba, sprinkled in fine leaves over the risotto, the steaming boiled beef and veal, the finest partridges, pheasants and quails, not forgetting the legs of venison, which even today are turned slowly over charcoal embers. But such strong cuisine also needs a powerful, fiery wine. It is not without reason that Piedmont is one of the largest and most famous wine regions in Italy. Already high up on the steep slopes of the Valle di Susa, the vines thrive, and all the sunny slopes down to the wide plains are ancient wine country.

Are also home to the Nebbiolo grape, which was already known to the Piedmontese in the 14th century. But they also know something about wine, these people at the foot of the Alps, they cherish it, care for it and give it due honor. For example, Moscato d'Asti, Barbera or Barolo, the 'king of wines', which once seemed so delicious to the Savoy Dukes that they placed it at the center of festive tables and 'around its fire' invented the appropriate dishes. North of the PIemont, in the Aosta Valley, and sheltered by the highest peaks of the Alps, excellent white wines thrive up to a thousand meters and occasionally close under the glaciers. Further south, down at the end of the valley, in the hills of Donnaz, the Nebbiolo grape prevails and gives a red wine that is particularly suitable as an accompaniment to roasts and the strong dishes of Valdostan cuisine. - Gerardo

The Piedmont region, known for its red wines, shines with characterful and tasty products from the grape varieties Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto. But the white grape variety Roero Arneis is also worth trying. Among the great and world-renowned wines are classics such as Barolo and Barbaresco.

"Beyond all the joy of modernization, however, we must not forget that the winemaking tradition in Piedmont was never interrupted. With each generation, terroir awareness grew, as did the ability of winemakers to seek out the best grape varieties and clones, in order to keep improving quality. Piedmont's Plisch and Plum - the Nebbiolo representatives Barolo and Barbaresco - also play an important role." - Gambero Rosso