When we visited Piedmont wineries, our primary goal was to try as many Barolos as we could. But because Piedmont is home to so many wonderful grapes, we were fortunate enough to try several other varieties that we fell in love with.
One such grape was the more approachable Barbera, and E. Pira & Fligli's Barbera d'Alba Superiore is one we just had to bring home with us.
The intensity of this one is hard to beat!
When we went on our wine tour of Piedmont, we knew we were going to be drinking a lot of Barolo. But at the same time, we were also excited to try lesser produced grapes in the region as well.
Arneis was one such grape, and we came to fall in love with this gem for its beautiful complexity, texture, and approachability.
Cordero di Montezemolo's Arneis is one bottle we got the chance to bring home with us, and we opened it shortly thereafter.
If you're like us, your first thoughts when it comes to booking a wine tour in Piedmont is all about Barolo. Arguably one of the most famous wines in the world, and the most acclaimed Nebbiolo on the planet, Barolo has lifted Piedmont's reputation as a fine wine producing region to the likes of Burgundy and Napa in recent decades.
But Piedmont wineries offer far more than fine, ageable Barolo and produce numerous grapes, styles of wine, and in many regions spread throughout Piedmont as a whole.
So in this Piedmont wine region guide we wanted to take a look at the wine region overall, the grapes and wines produced, give tips for planning a visit, share highly rated wineries you may want to visit, and more!
If you're planning a trip to Piedmont to go wine tasting, this guide is for you!
When we booked our trip to northern Italy to go wine tasting, we knew we wanted to check out a great cross-section of wineries in Piedmont.
Naturally, our first thought went heavy into checking out Barolo wineries to find out why the region is so acclaimed for Nebbiolo. But as Piedmont is more than just Barolo, we also set our sights on trying out other grape varieties like Barbera, Dolcetto (in Dogliani, specifically), Moscato (in Asti), traditional method sparkling wine, and other styles of Nebbiolo like Barbaresco and Langhe Nebbiolo to name a few.
As such, we hit an array of styles of Piedmont wineries and wanted to share a bit about each that we personally visited in this one!
Note: Most wineries in Piedmont require advance reservation when visiting. Wineries that appeared to allow walk-in tastings are noted, but please confirm this prior to visiting as tasting rules and booking requirements change regularly. To check out our full guide to planning a wine tour in Piedmont, click the previous link!
If you are considering visiting Piedmont on an upcoming trip to go wine tasting, the odds are good you may be wondering where to stay.
Not only are there several great wine regions to explore, Barolo, Barbaresco, Dogliani, Asti, and more, but there are also several villages within each you may want to consider as a possible base.
While we cannot tell you what wine region is the best to stay in as that may depend heavily on your ideal itinerary (we were Barolo heavy ourselves), we can give some broad thoughts on where to stay in Piedmont in several categories based on your interests.
Who doesn't love a good Barolo? Intensely aromatic, powerful flavors, and pairs perfectly with some of the richest dishes on the planet.
We realized it had been years since we had opened a Barolo, so we decided to crack open an A&G Fantino Cascina Dardi Barolo Riserva DOCG from our cellar and see how it was developing despite being a rather young wine at approximately eight years old.
If you are into lesser-known grapes the way we are, odds are good Turbiana may be new to you. This is because the grape, grown on the shores of Lake Garda in northern Italy, was only recognized as a unique mutation a few years ago and in the past was considered to be Verdicchio.
But Ca dei Frati Brolettino Lugana was unlike any Verdicchio we've ever had, and this Turbiana was one of those bottles we still talk about well after the bottle has been enjoyed to its very last drop.
We have a fondness for Montepulciano d'Abruzzo for often being an intense and well-balanced Italian red wine.
So when we received a sample bottle of Masciarelli's Villa Gemma Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva, we were rather excited to try it out. Intense flavors, a bit of age, and a lovely complexity is all we need to be happy with this one!
When Masciarelli Vineyards sent us a few sample bottles to try out, there was one we were rather excited to try out as quickly as possible- their Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo white blend.
Part of this was because it as a unique blend of three lesser-enjoyed grapes-Â Trebbiano, Pecorino, and Cococciola. The other part is that we simply have not found too many white wines from Italy that we are big fans of.
This bottle offered a rather complex flavor profile that we quite enjoyed and definitely has us rethinking our approach to Italian white wines!
You likely know that Montepulciano is an intense red wine from Italy. But have you ever had it made in rose style?
We were able to give this unique preparation a try with a sample bottle from Masciarelli's Villa Gemma Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo and have to admit it is a rather unique way to enjoy this grape!