Piedmont may be best known for its red wines but this famous wine region in Italy also produces several white wines of note.
The Moscato Bianco (moe-ska-toe bee-an-ko) grape is most notably from the Asti region of Piedmont. This grape is used in the production of Moscato d’Asti which is a sweet, semi-sparkling wine and Asti Spumante which is a refreshing, slightly sweet, sparkling white wine. This grape is also used to produce still wine (i.e., not a sparkling wine) and sweet dessert versions.
But the top white grapes of Piedmont are Cortese and Arneis.
Cortese (kort-tay-zay) is the white grape that is most famous for producing Gavi which is named for the town of Gavi in the southern part of Piedmont. Bright acidity, apple, peach and honeydew flavors are commonly associated with wines produced from this grape, along with lime, almond and light herbal or grassy aromas.
Arneis (Ar-NAYZ) is yet another grape that has recently been brought back from near extinction. Wines produced from the Arneis grape are known for their minerality along with flavors of peach, apple and hazelnut. The best Arneis wines are from the sub-regions of Roero and Langhe.
Finally, there are two other white wine grapes grown in Piedmont - Erbaluce and Nascetta. Neither of these grapes are are widely planted outside of northern Piedmont.
Erbaluce is used in the production of dry wines that are light-bodied with crisp apple flavor. Sparkling wines exhibit minerality, bold acidity and fresh, fruity flavors. Along with dry table wines, Erbaluce is used to make sweet wines with deep golden coloring, such as Passito.
Nascetta was also revived in the mid-1990s. It produces crisp wines with apple and citrus flavors along with notes of honey.
So, there’s a short overview of the variety of white wines produced in Piedmont. Next time, we’ll continue our wine tour of Italy. Until then, Salute!