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Piedmonte
Piedmonte literally means foot of the
mountains, situated in the north-west of Italy between the
Alps to the west, the fertile Po Valley in to east and the
Ligurian coast to the south. Torino (Turin) is the regional
capital, for a long time the residence of the House of Savoy who
ruled Piedmonte since the 11th century. The city's
culture and heritage is clearly marked by the presence of the royal
court, not in the last place by the aristocratic refinement of the
region's cuisine. The extremely diverse climates and landscapes of
Piedmonte produce the most wonderful variety of foods. White
truffles and hazelnuts from the Langhe, fontina and porcini from
Valle d'Aoste and arborio, carnaroli and vialone rice from the
alluvial plains of the Po.
The Langhe is the centre of wine production in Piedmonte. It is the Kingdom of Nebbiolo, Italy's noblest grape variety, finding its ultimate expression in the DOCG's of Barolo and Barbaresco. They are generally regarded as very complex districts by the experts, with over 800 producers crafting wines from various vineyards and crus, all showing their own subtle nuances. Apart from Nebbiolo, Piedmonte offers two other red grape varieties that are widely spread. Barbera is the regions workhorse, mainly grown around Alba and deservedly rewarded its own DOC around Asti. Producers increasingly turn this variety into seriously expressive wines through the selection of good sites and meticulous viticulture. The fruity character and low tannins of Dolcetto generally leads to wines that are consumed early, although oak ageing can lease them a longer life. Another variety worth mentioning is the rare Brachetto, producing sweet and slightly sparkling desert wines from around the village of Acqui. The main white variety of Piedmonte is Moscato with its production centred in the DOCG of Asti. The natives Arneis and Cortese di Gavi have earned their own DOCG's, respectively Roero and Gavi di Gavi.