7 things you (maybe) don't know about Nebbiolo

1. Nebbiolo is one of the noblest and oldest vines of our ampelographic heritage. It is an autochthonous grape from Piedmont, which has the characteristic of being inextricably linked to its homeland. It is grown mainly in the Langhe area to produce the famous Barolo and Barbaresco wines. However, it also expresses itself very well in the Roero , on the other bank of the Tanaro, with more delicate and less structured wines .

2. Always in Piedmont it is grown with excellent results in the denominations of the north: Lessona, Boca, Bramaterra, Fara, Sizzano, Ghemme, Gattinara and Carema , where it offers wines of great finesse and elegance

3. Outside Piedmont it is grown in a few other Italian regions. In Valle d'Aosta , especially in the Donnas and Arnad Montjovet area , where it is called picoutener; in Valtellina with the name of chiavennasca and in Sardinia , in the area of Luras in Gallura , where it was brought in the 19th century during the period of Piedmontese domination of the island.

4. Attempts to cultivate it in other regions of the world, in particular in South America and California , have given rather modest results and not comparable to Piedmontese excellence In an increasingly globalized world of wine, dominated by international vines that have adapted well both in Europe and in the wine regions of the New World, nebbiolo represents an exception.

5. It is a very demanding grape from a pedoclimatic point of view. It has a long vegetative cycle, sprouts early, in the middle of April and matures in the second half of October. It prefers hilly exposures between 200 and 450 meters above sea level, preferably facing south and south-west, well sheltered from cold winds. The fresh and continental climatic conditions, with good ventilation and temperature variations both seasonal and between day and night, are fundamental to ensure a qualitative maturation of the Nebbiolo grape. It expresses well above all on soils consisting of clay-limestone marl with sandstone presence, but it has also adapted well to the lighter and more sandy Roero soils and to the richer skeleton and rock soils of upper Piedmont and Valtellina.

6. His name may also be related to the terroir . According to some it derives from the mists , which often envelop the Langhe hills , according to others, however, from the presence of abundant white bloom on the berries .

7. Traditionally, three different clones of Nebbiolo are identified : lampia, michet and rosé . In fact, michet is the result of a lampia virus, which generates plants with low yields and grapes which are particularly rich from an aromatic point of view. The rosé, on the other hand, tends to produce grapes with a light color and has been gradually abandoned. In the different areas, nebbiolo expresses itself with various nuances that highlight the characteristics of each individual terroir. An expressive richness that is nice to discover, tasting the labels of the different denominations.

Langhe Nebbiolo DOC 2019 Sabaudo

Barolo DOCG 2016 Sabaudo

Gattinara Riserva DOCG 2015 Travaglini

Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG Sfursat 5 Stelle 2017 Nino Negri

Barolo DOCG Paesi Tuoi 2016 Vite Colte

Langhe Nebbiolo DOC Occhetti 2018 Prunotto

Barolo DOCG 2017 Prunotto

Barbaresco DOCG La Casa in Collina 2017 Vite Colte

Barbaresco DOCG 2017 Produttori del Barbaresco

Barbaresco DOCG 2018 Prunotto

Barolo Monvigliero Riserva DOCG 2013 Castello di Verduno

Barolo DOCG Marcenasco 2017 Renato Ratti

Valtellina Superiore Grumello DOCG Sassorosso 2017 Nino Negri

Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG Fruttaio Ca' Rizzieri 2017 Rainoldi

Barbaresco DOCG 2017 Pio Cesare

Roero Riserva DOCG Ròche d'Ampsèj 2016 Matteo Correggia

Roero DOCG Valmaggiore Audinaggio 2018 Ca' Rossa

Barolo DOCG Dagromis 2016 Gaja