Producer: Cavallotto
Region/Appellation: Piemonte, Italy
Grape varieties: Nebbiolo
Vintage: 2006
Eye: dark ruby
Nose: rose, tar, cherry, earth, licorice
Mouth: balanced fruit, good acidity, round tannins
Price Point: $80
Available at Vinmonopolet: Yes
Throwback to my first Vendemmia and my first trip into the vineyards collecting grapes!
What is Uno Per Uno? Literally it means One By One. And that pretty much sums it up. Unoperuno is an Altare wine and they pick the grapes off the stem by hand, one by one. Why? One of the things I love about the Altare family is their innovative spirit and endless energy. A few years ago they decided to try and make a wine where they hand destem the grapes. By doing that, they avoid letting other things into the wine, like part of a stem or a leaf.
I was very lucky this fall because I got to participate in the hand destemming of the grapes (for maybe 45 min), but even if it was a short experience it was incredible. The whole team sits around these buckets and pick off the grapes one by one. And while I did it for less than an hour, they do it for 10 days!
The work is tedious and takes a very long time, but the product reflects all the effort put into it. If you have the chance, try it! You can read about the wine and the winery here.
Many of the winemakers in Piemonte (more specifically Barolo) have become my friends and it is always a joy to see when their wines make it to the top of the lists. Marengo’s Bricco Delle Viole reached #15 on Wine Spectators Top 100 Wines! Congratulations Marco, Jenny and Marenghino!
See the full list here: http://top100.winespectator.com/lists/
Producer: Conterno
Region/Appellation: Piemonte, Italy
Grape varieties: dolcetto
Vintage: 1999
Eye: deep ruby
Nose: earth, spice, sweet dried cherry
Mouth: relatively fresh, cherries, some leather
Price Point: ??
Available at Vinmonopolet: no
Throwback to my visit with Conterno.
A wonderful visit at a beautiful Cantina.
After moving to Milano, I had to start finding new wine stores. One of those was Peck. At Peck you don’t only find wine, they have a great selection of food as well (I spent quite some time in the Cheese section). Downstairs they have their Enoteca, and I was very surprised when I walked down the stairs and entered into the wine section. It was like it was endless. I just kept walking and walking and the store seemed to get bigger and bigger.
They have a huge selection of wines from all over the world, it was almost overwhelming. And they also had a beautiful selection of large formats. Basically one of my new favorite places in Milano. Being Piemontegirl, I usually end up in that section of the wine stores, and true to form that’s where I spent most of my time while I was there. They have the big names like Gaja and Conterno, but they also have a good selection of the less expensive wines. While we are on the subject, good wine does not have to cost a fortune. Just saying.
Definately a place to see if you are in the area. Check out their website for more information.
The main grape varieties in the Barolo area are Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo. There are of course other grapes that grow in the area, but the above mentioned are the main varieties. For my untrained eye, they just look like grapes. But each type has different characteristics, different leaves and of course different tastes.
Dolcetto grapes are used make what I call the “baby wine”. The word dolcetto means “little sweet one”, however the wines are not necessarily sweet. Dolcetto is typically dry, and are known for it’s black cherry and licorice flavors. The wine is light and easy to drink, an everyday wine.
Barbera is the next grape variety. The wines is heavier than dolcetto and is typically consumed with food. The wine has notes of cherries, raspberries and blueberries. It is also known for it’s deep ruby color.
Nebbiolo is the king of Piemonte. If Nebbiolo is grown in the Barolo region, you can call it Barolo. But if it grows next door, in Barbaresco, then you have to call it Barbaresco. But in general nebbiolo is used for the big wines, the wines you can store for decades. And it’s one of the main attraction for wine lovers.
Will you be in the US in January? You have the chance to attend 2 wine events.
First event takes place in New York at La Pizza Fresca. Elisa Scavino will be there to show her wines at a winemaker dinner January 18th at 7pm. You will have the chance to taste Barbera d’Alba 2015, Barolo 2012 (93 JS), Barolo ‘Monvigliero’ 2012 (93 JS), Barolo ‘Bricco Ambrogio’ 2012 (92 JS), Barolo ‘Carobric’ 2012 (95 JS) and Barolo ‘Bric del Fiasc’ 2012 (94 JS).
Check out the details here.
Another wine event will take place in Texas on January 19th. Luca Currado will be at a pop up restaurant showing his wines. If you have the opportunity, you should definitely go!
Check out the facebook event for more details.
Wine: Dolcetto d’Alba
Producer: Bartolo Mascarello
Region/Appellation: Piemonte, Italy
Grape varieties: Dolcetto
Vintage: 2015
Eye: deep, dark color
Nose: florals, dark fruits, leather, dried herbs
Mouth: balanced palate, good acidity, dark fruits
Price Point: $24
Available at Vinmonopolet: yes
PIEMONTEGIRL 