The White Wines of Piedmont Italy

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!

Piedmont: Another Top Wine Region in Italy

We’ve recently been exploring Italian wines (Borolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, Montepulciano, Soave and Super Tuscans), grapes (Sangiovese and Nebbiolo) and regions (Tuscany and Chianti).

So, now let’s take a closer look at another of Italy’s great wine regions - Piedmont (or Piemonte, pronounced pee-ay-MON-tay).

Piedmont is located in the western-most part of northern Italy. With the Swiss Alps to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the south, it is yet another perfect region for wine. It is the home of more DOCG wines than any other Italian region.

In Piedmont, Nebbiolo is not the region's most widely planted grape, but it is the grape that is most notable. Nebbiolo grapes are prominent in four of Piedmont's DOCGs: Barolo, Barbaresco, Gattinara and Roero.

It is Barbera that is Piedmont's primary grape and the most widely planted. Piedmont's best Barbera wines are from Barbera del Monferrato, Barbera d'Asti and Barbera d'Alba. Barbera is thought to have originated in the hills of central Piemonte, where it has been known since the 13th century.

The third major grape of Piedmont is Dolcetto (Dol-CHET-oh). The top sub-regions of Piedmont for Dolcetto are Dogliani, Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba and Dolcetto di Ovada Superiore. Meaning the "little sweet one," Dolcetto produces dry red wines that are generally made to be enjoyed young. Unfortunately, Nebbiolo and Barbara steal the show in Piedmont and seem to leave these wines a distant third. But, Dolcetto certainly should not be overlooked. 

So, that’s just a very quick overview of Piedmont and its three most notable red wine grapes. Next time we’ll take a look at some of the white wines of Piedmont. Cheers!

Tuscany: One of Italy's Most Famous Wine Regions

Tuscan is located in west-central Italy and includes the cities of Florence, Siena and Pisa. It is also the birthplace of the Italian renaissance. Wine production in Tuscan started before the rise of the Roman Empire and is believed to have begun in the 5th century BC.

Most of Tuscan’s top wine regions produce red wine, but that’s not to say that white wines aren’t produced. But more than 80% of Tuscan wines are red.

While Tuscany is comprised of more than 40 sub-regions, it’s best known for the regions of Chianti (Italy’s first official wine region created in 1716), Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. And, the grape of Tuscan is Sangiovese.

The best examples of Chianti come from the Chianti Classico zone, which was awarded a separate status in 1996. Many of the Chianti Classico wines are marked by the black cockerel (Gallo Nero) logo. However, bottles sold in the US are not always so marked.

Originally, the wines of Chianti were required to use both red and white wine grapes. But today, Chianti Classico wines must simply contain a minimum of 80 percent of the Sangiovese variety. The remainder can be made from native grapes such as Canaiolo or Colorino. There are three levels of Chianti Classico wines - Annata (the most basic wines), Riserva and Gran Selezione. Riserva wines must be aged for 24 months while Gran Selezione must be entirely made from a single estate and aged for 30 months.

Brunello di Montalcino is another of Italy's most famous and prestigious wines. All Brunello di Montalcino wines are made exclusively from 100% Sangiovese that is grown on the slopes around Montalcino which is located just south of Siena. Brunello must be aged for at least four years while the Riserva must be aged for five years. Two of these years must be spent in oak, and the wine must spend a minimum of four months in the bottle prior to being released.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is located southeast of Siena in southeastern Tuscany. Wines of this region must be at least 70 percent Sangiovese. Other local varieties can be used for the remaining 30 percent and up to 5% may be white varieties such as Malvasia. The aging period for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a minimum of 24 months while the Riserva wines must have a minimum of 36 months of aging with at least 12 months in oak barrels.

Ever Wonder about Montepulciano Wine?

Montepulciano (mon-ta-pull-channo), as you might guess by its name, is an Italian wine. You might also guess that it’s from a region or town of Montepulciano, Italy. There, you’d be wrong.

Montepulciano is a beautiful medieval town in Tuscany, in central Italy. But, oddly enough, Montepulciano wines are not produced there.

Instead, Montepulciano wines are from Marche, Molise, northern Puglia and most notably, Abruzzo. All of these regions are along the eastern coast of Italy and benefit from the cooling winds off the Adriatic Sea.

So, Montepulciano wines are made of Montepulciano grapes but they have nothing to do with the town Montepulciano.

To make things even more confusing, the wines that are produced in Montepulciano are, like most Tuscan wines, made from Sangiovese.

Montepulciano is the second most planted red grape in Italy. Sangiovese, the grape used to make Chianti, is the most widely planted grape of Italy.

Montepulciano has long held a reputation for being low-priced fruity red wines that go well with pizza and bold tomato-based sauces. This reputation is true. But, there are many producers, especially in Abruzzo, that are making some very well-structured wines displaying notes of cherry, crushed herbs and tobacco.

Finally, for a wine to be a certified Montepulciano d’Abruzzo it has to comply with the following rules:

• It must be made with at least 85% Montepulciano grapes (up to 15% Sangiovese is allowed)

• The wine must be aged for at least 5 months before it is released

• To be labeled as a Riserva, the wine must be aged for at least two years including a minimum of nine months in wood barrels

Although a bit confusing, Montepulciano wines can be quite good and, as the most exported Italian wine to the U.S., it can be very reasonably priced. Cheers!

Ever Wonder About the Italian Wine Soave?

Fifty years ago, Soave was the most popular Italian wine in the U.S., it even outsold Chianti.

Soave (“swah-vay”) is an Italian white wine made of Garganega (“gar-GAN-nehgah”) grapes grown around the village of Soave in Northern Italy.

Soave means "soft" in Italian, and the soft floral bouquet and fruit flavors help it to live up to its name. It is considered the most famous white wine in Italy.

Soave is a light-to-medium bodied white wine, with fruity flavors and moderate acidity. Overall, it falls between a Pinot Grigio and a Chardonnay.

By Italian regulation, Garganega grapes must make up at least 70 percent of a Soave wine, while a maximum of 30 percent Chardonnay and Trebbiano di Soave (Verdicchio) are allowed.

Common flavors of Soave wine include Peach, Pear, Honeydew, Citrus Zest, and sometime a bit of saltiness.

Depending on the aging process, Soave can taste either lean or rich. The more affordable wines are typically aged in stainless steel tanks. These wines have brighter fruit flavors. Soave that is aged in oak barrels tends to be rich with notable nutty flavor.

By the way, there is also a bubbly Soave Spumante version and a very sweet version, produced by drying the grapes slightly before fermentation, which is labelled as Recioto di Soave.

Soave wines are very affordable. So next time you see one, pick it up and give it a try! Cheers!