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Wine tastings in Piemonte-
Our tastings are hosted by the wine maker himself.
They can not only talk to you about their wines and vineyards but also tell anecdotes about their lives in the vineyard,  local culture and experiences.
This makes the atmosphere more relaxed and personal.

The Nebbiolo grape
Nebbiolo takes its name form ‘nebbia’ which in Italian means fog.
This refers either to the frequent weather phenomenon in the area or the cloudy bloom which covers the skin of the grape at harvest time.
A notoriously particular grape, it requires sheltered south-facing sites and performs best on the well drained calcareous marls to the north and south of Alba in the DOCG zones of Barbaresco and Barolo.

The Nebbiolo grape tends to ripen late into October and temperatures in the region after harvest are cool enough to significantly slow down (or in some cases halt) fermentation. This process historically left the wine with noticeable amounts of residual sugar.
This sweetness was very fashionable to  European tastes at the time and was also prized by some members of the House of Savoy.
However, in the 1890s, an enology professor in Alba was able to utilize a heated fermentation tank to successfully fully ferment nebbiolo to make a dry wine. After 1949, wineries in the area began to refocus on Barbaresco and Barolo to increase the reputation of the wines outside the of region.

Barbaresco
 is a powerful wine produced in the Piedmont region in an area of the Langhe immediately to the east of Alba and specifically in the communes of Barbaresco, Treiso and Neive plus that area of the San Rocco Senodelvio that now belongs to the commune of Alba.
It was granted Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) status in 1966 and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita status 1980. DOCG regulations stipulate that Barbarescos wines must be aged for a minimum of 2 years (at least 1 year in oak) prior to release and aged for at least 4 years to be considered a riserva.
The wines must have a minimum 12.5% alcohol level though most wines are closer to 13.5%. Well made examples of Barbarescos are expected to aged at least 5-10 years after vintage before they are enjoyed, as they are extremely tannic and tight in their youth, and some continue to drink well even after 20 years.

The typical style of a Barbaresco has bouquets of roses or violets with flavour notes of  rose, mint, chocolate,  truffles, fennel and liquorice. As the wine ages, it can develop smoky notes and more earthy and animal flavors like leather and tar.

The vineyards around the town of Barbaresco are responsible for 45% of the region's Barbaresco production with many of the area's largest wineries located in town. Wines from this area tend to be relatively light in color and body but very well structured and aromatic.

The wine is often compared with Barolo-another Nebbiolo based wine from the Piedmont area. Though the wines do share many similarities, there are some distinct differences between them

 Differences with Barolo

Despite being made from the same grape and produced in neighboring areas less than 10 miles from each other, the wines of Barbaresco and Barolo do have some distinct differences.
Located south of the river Tanao, the Barbaresco zone receives a slight maritime, influence which allows Nebbiolo to ripen here a little earlier then it does in the Barolo zone.
This allows the grape to get to fermentation earlier with a shorter maceration time. The early tannins in a young Barbaresco are not quite as harsh as Barolo and under DOCG rules it is allowed to age for a year less then Barolo.
The Barolos that tend to be closer in body, fruitiness, and perfume to Barbarescos are generally the ones produced near the villages of La Morra and Barolo.
The most pronounced difference between the two wines is that the tannins of Barbaresco tend to soften quicker, which can make the wines more approachable to drink at an earlier age but won't allow it to age for as long as a traditionally made Barolo could.
The smaller vineyard areas mean that annual production of Barbaresco is around 35% the production of Barolo and therefore the wines are not as widely available out on the market.
However, the smaller area does generally produce more consistent profiles among the Barbarescos then across the more expansive Barolo zone.

Barolo
 Is also produced from the nebbiolo grape variety. One of many Italian wines to claim the title "Wine of kings, and king of wines".
It is produced in Cuneo’s province, south-west of Alba, within the region of Piemonte, in the communes of Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d'Alba and parts of the communes of Cherasco, Diano d'Alba, Grinzane Cavour, La Morra, Monforte d'Alba, Novello, Roddi, Verduno.
Only vineyards in the hills with suitable slopes and orientations are considered adapted to production, and the terrains must be primarily clay/calcareous in character.

 Historically  all Barolos used to be very tannic and they took more than 10 years to soften. Fermenting wine sat on the grape skins for at least three weeks, extracting huge amounts of tannins; then it was aged in large, wooden casks for years.
Tree In order to meet the international taste, which preferred fruitier, more accessible styles, the "modernists" cut fermentation times to a maximum of ten days and put the wine in new French barriques (small oak barrels).
The results, said traditionalists, were wines that weren't even recognizable as Barolo and tasted more of new oak than of wine.
The controversies between traditionalists and modernists have been called the Barolo wars The war has now subsided.
Though outspoken modernists are still committed to new oak, many producers are now choosing the middle ground, often using a combination of barriques and large casks.For those growers seeking a slightly lighter more modern style of barolo, September harvesting is increasingly the norm.  
However, the more prestigious houses still reject early harvest and  barriques.
They insist on patience only for their exceptional wines.
Barolo typically smells of tar and roses, and can take on an unusual orange tinge with age. When subjected to aging of at least five years, the wine can be labeled a Riserva. The initial nose of a barolo is often that of the pine.

For dates and further information Please call
Antonio Cerilli on 0780 915 4638.