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.

Barolo DOCG Bussia Vigna Bonfani 2014 Beni di Batasiolo

Barolo DOCG Rocche di Castiglione 2019 Ceretto

Barbaresco DOCG Asili 2020 Ceretto

Nebbiolo d'Alba DOC 2022 Palladino

Barolo DOCG Ginestra 2020 Paolo Conterno

Barolo DOCG 2020 Borgogno

Langhe DOC Nebbiolo 2021 Elio Sandri

Langhe DOC Nebbiolo 2023 Gianfranco Alessandria

Vino Rosso Ciman Elio Sandri

Barolo DOCG Monvigliero 2020 Vietti

Valtellina Superiore DOCG Sassella Petrato 2021 Tenuta Scerscé

Langhe Rosato DOC 2024 Josetta Saffirio

Barolo DOCG 2021 Alberto Ballarin

Valtellina Superiore DOCG Inferno Flammante 2021 Tenuta Scerscé

Barolo DOCG Castellero 2020 Fratelli Barale

Ghemme DOCG 2020 Torraccia del Piantavigna

Barolo DOCG Riserva Bussia 90 dì 2019 Giacomo Fenocchio

Vino Spumante di Qualità Metodo Classico Extra Brut Cuvée Zero 2021 Cascina Chicco