Paese che vai, Nebbiolo che trovi

If the Langa is the undisputed homeland where the nebbiolo reigns supreme far and wide, no less important are the other areas where tenacious and conscientious growers have been able to enhance and tame this grape variety.

BEYOND THE TANARO RIVER . . . IL ROERO

Crossing the natural boundary of the Langhe represented by the Tanaro river, we find a series of hills that give rise to another important wine that takes its name from its very own production area, Roero DOCG.
A less well-known wine compared to its two Langhe cousins, but certainly not inferior in sumptuousness and pleasantness. Here the nebbiolo grows on often sandy, mineral-rich soils that give the wine an extraordinary structure accompanied by good balance. The production regulations in this case allow the nebbiolo to leave a small space for other grapes (max 5% non-aromatic red grape varieties).
The minimum aging required is just one year, which means that il Roero can be enjoyed in all its lively youth, with its predominantly fruity and floral aromas.

HEADING NORTH-EAST: CAREMA, GATTINARA, GHEMME

Leaving the Cuneo area, we reach the province of Turin up to the border with Valle d'Aosta, where we find a wine-vocation area for both white and red wines, the Canavese. Here we find Carema DOC, made from nebbiolo (at least 85% of the total), which is usually cultivated in characteristic pergola-trained vineyards set on dry-stone terraced walls and stone columns. The symbiosis between the grape variety and the terroir yields a wine of rare finesse and marked longevity, with always moderate alcohol and characteristic aromas reminiscent of macerated rose.

Our itinerary continues eastward until we encounter the production areas of Gattinara (VERCELLI) and Ghemme (NOVARA), two towns so close to each other yet giving rise to two wines (Ghemme DOCG and Gattinara DOCG respectively) that are so different. This is explained by the very composition of the soil. The first, of volcanic origin, imparts a distinctly mineral character to the wine, while the second makes it similar to the vini di Bourgogne.

CROSSING THE PIEDMONT BORDER: SFORZATO DI VALTELLINA

We now leave Piedmont to end our journey seated at the table of a typical locanda della Valtellina, where we can savor a good plate of pizzoccheri paired with the most important wine of the area: Sfursat o Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG. When speaking of Valtellina, one speaks of Sassella, Grumello, Inferno, Valgella e Maroggia – these are in fact the "sub-zones" of this important and distinctive Italian DOCG, and it is from the vineyards of these areas that a decidedly atypical wine is produced compared to those encountered so far. Its uniqueness comes from the mountainous territory in which it is produced and from the production method, which involves several months of drying the grapes on racks after harvest; once the concentrations have reached the appropriate level, vinification proceeds. All of this gives the resulting wine a decidedly complex character, with typically significant alcohol content, and in the glass we are struck by the broad spicy and jam-like aromas that in some cases extend to fruit preserved in spirits.

Nebbiolo is certainly a worthy companion at our table on important occasions.