Category Archives: Favorites

Wine Moments 2019

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Blindtasting

Quite a few blind tasting’s take place throughout the year. It’s how I learn. And it’s fun. Looking back on the year, two tastings stick out.

A 2014 lineup with three Barolo:
Trediberri Rocche dell’Annunizata: this was a little closed on the nose at first, but after a while a bouquet of red fruits appeared. The wine had good acidity, good balance and an excellent finish. For a “young” barolo it was very fresh and approachable.
Bartolo Mascarello Barolo: Notes of red fruits, strawberries and some spices. High acidity, round tannins and well balanced.
Fratelli Alessandria Monvigliero: Dark fruits, some ripe fruits on the nose. Good acidity, fresh tannins and a good finish. This bottle had been open for about 24 hours (with the cork “put back in”) so it was very approachable.

A more “diverse” lineup:
Elio Altare Barolo 2004: When tasting this blind, it still had so much “oumph” that it could have been mistaken for a fresh nebbiolo! This was wine of the night for me.
Giacomo Conterno Barbera Vigna Francia 2014: I have always thought the barbera from Contero has a very distinct nose, a nose very different from other barbera’s. This was really hard to figure out next to the other wines.
A Chianti Classico 1993: Curveball! Could tell this wine had some age, with notes of toffee both on the nose and in the mouth. In my opinion, this was past it’s prime. Impossible to identify blind in this lineup.

Wineglasswriter

Vietti Barolo Castiglione 2009

Vietti never ceases to amaze me. After some air, this wine from 2009 (10 years old) blew me away with its fresh fruit, round tannins and unbelievable finish. In my opinion, this wine is not even close to reaching it’s potential!

Ester Canale Rosso Langhe Nebbiolo 2015

This wine “had” to be tried. The new project of Giovanni Rosso gained quite a bit of fame, and I had to see what all the fuss was about. The wine is good. Is it worth the price? Let me put it this way, here are many other wines I would buy before this one. However, it will be very interesting following this project going forward!

Diego Morra Monvigliero

2019 would be the year I discovered quite a few new wineries. One of my favorites is Diego Morra. And one of the wines in their portfolio is a Monvigliero. You might have heard of it. Antonio Galloni gave a 100 points to the Monviglerio of Burlotto in 2013. So it’s safe to say it’s quite famous. And the one from Diego Morra is very good!

Diego Mora Monvigliero 2015 had some truffle and wet soil on the nose, quite strong tannins (typical of this cru), but still very elegant and floral.

2019 – a year in review

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2019 – a year of big change

In 10 years (or 20 or 30) I think I can, with certainty, say that the year 2019 was a game changer. The highlights include:
Quit my job
Got a dog
Slept outside for 2 days
Started my own company
Organized my first Winemakers dinner
Hosted my first ever “Piemontegirl Tour” in Piemonte
Walked the “Champagne Mile” for the first time
Was on the News (and the radio)


And many many more adventures. You could say it’s been quite a year! But let’s start at the beginning.

JANUARY

One of the first items on the agenda for 2019 was a visit to Beijing Palace to eat delicious Dim Sum and drink Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for Burgundy. Nothing like spending some quality time with Hong and his crew when you’re going through hell.
Next, I quit my job. What a relief. But did I have a plan? Not really. So what did I do? Put my heart and soul into my work. That’s how I ended up on the news for the first time in my adult life. Intrigued? I am only just beginning.

FEBRUARY

Got a dog. Her name is Tilla, named after my good friend Silvia Altare. I adopted Tilla after she failed her training as a seeing eye dog. Failure, you said? I’ll tell you she doesn’t fail at anything else.

The next thing that happened might be one of the most crazy and strange thing I’ve ever done: I decided to pack a bag (with lots of warm clothes) and spend 48 hours outside on the street in the freezing Norwegian winter. Why did I do that? I got one word for you: Burgund Slipp! I’ve got more words, but you’ll have to read them here.

Oh, and I officially started my own company: Piemontegirl! Most of you know I’ve had a passion for wine since I was about 17. What started as a summer vacation in Italy in 2011 ended up being the beginning of a wonderful adventure! And slowly, Piemontegirl grew. And now it’s become a reality. A scary, challenging, amazing, interesting and fun reality.

MARCH

One of my first tasks in my new role as CEO & Founder of Piemontegirl was expand my knowledge base. Thank you Kulinarisk Akademi and Heidi for taking me through WSET Level 2!

March might be my favorite month, because…. You guessed it: It’s my birthday!! My annual birthday trip to Piemonte included a visit (and photo) with Accomasso, multiple birthday celebrations with my second family, visit to Ciccio & Centro Storico, birthday Insalata Russa (thanks to the beautiful staff at More Macine), and many other incredible moments. I will forever be grateful to my Piemonte Family! And am already looking forward to my next birthday trip!

APRIL

“April would mark a milestone for my Piemontegirl career. Trediberri accepted my offer to come to Oslo for a tasting! This “Trediberri Masterclass” was Piemontegirl’s first official tasting – and it was a huge success. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Nicola so enthusiastic before. Hopefully he’ll come back again in 2020!

MAY

The month of “Pylsa & Barolo” – the yearly non celebration of my Dad. And it’s exactly like it sounds. We eat hot dogs and drink Barolo. Don’t know it ’til you try it!

17th of May, the Norwegian national holiday, calls for a celebration. Our annual tradition brings us to Cru for some delicious food and good wine. Norwegians consume a lot of Champagne on this day. Myself included.

JUNE

All of a sudden I find myself on a plane to New York. This time it’s not for pleasure. Although I did managed to enjoy a very good meal at Babbo. I try to stop by either Lupa or Babbo when I’m in the big apple. Lupa used to be my regular spot back when I lived in the States.

June would be a month for travel, and I once again found myself on a plane. This time to La Morra. I’ve never been to La Morra in June before and let me tell you: it was amazing. The temperature was perfect, the tourists were not overwhelming, and the wineries were “regular” busy and not harvest busy. So if you’re looking for a good time to go, June is a good time!

JULY

Summer vacation time! This year Burgundy made the list of destinations, and I spent 3 wonderful days in Beaune. Highlights include a visit with Joseph Voillot, Michel Lafarge, dinner at Caves Madeleine & a stroll through Romanee-Conti.

In La Morra that summer I would test my skills as a tour guide, as I dragged my friends around for winery visits, lunches and dinners. I’d say it was a success! The activities include, but are not limited to:
A visit with Nicola at Trediberri where we got to taste the Barolo 2016 fresh off the bottling belt.
Lunch at Repubblica di Perno, where we ran into Jan Restoff, a very talented chef from Denmark.
A trip into the vineyard with Veronica and Andrea Corino, where we learned about plants getting sunburned.
Champagne at Vinoteca Centro Storico – of course.
All in all a very successful summer vacation!

AUGUST

Back to work, and the fall started lining up with many fun Piemontegirl Tastings.

August is also the month of Mangialonga! Mangialonga might be my favorite wine event of the year! It involves eating and drinking while walking in beautiful surroundings. I usually work at a stand with the local youth serving wine, and when the last participants pass through, we grab some glasses and go!

Ladies of Mangialonga

SEPTEMBER

You heard about the Burgund Slipp? Well, the Piemonte Slipp (or random wines from Italy ++) took place in September. For fun, I decided to spend the night on the street outside the store. I did not have as much fun as I did in February. I flew solo until about 7am. Oh well, here’s to hoping next year will be better!

September will be remembered for something besides Piemonte Slipp – Ludo had it’s official opening! This new pizza joint in my neighborhood has become a favorite! Might have something to do with all the italians working there, but if that’s not your thing, the pizza’s are excellent! So for whatever reason works for you, check it out if you’re ever in Oslo.

OCTOBER

Big things are happening! Piemontegirl organized her first Piemontegirl Tour! The trip included a winery visit with Marengo, where we got to taste wine just after the alcoholic fermentation. The group’s birthday boy got to try his hand at pumping over with Nicola at Trediberri. We also walked the Champagne Mile – a legendary 10k from La Morra to Serralunga. And the reason we call it the Champagne Mile is because Alessio greets you with a glass (or two) of Champagne at the finish line!

NOVEMBER

Masterclasses and Winemakers dinners! Both Marengo and Gianfranco Alessandria came to Oslo for Piemontegirl tastings. Along with my partner Gutta på Haugen, we were able to organize multiple successful events! The feedback I’ve recieved is overwhelming and I am so grateful to everyone who is supporting me during this startup phase of my business. I have high hopes for many more winemakers dinners and masterclasses in 2020!

DECEMBER

I’ve come a long way since December 2018. Just last year I was experiencing multiple nose bleeds due to stress, I had no idea where my life was heading and my future didn’t look all that bright. But with a little help from my friends, family and licenced professionals, I’ve managed to slowly build Piemontegirl into a business, and gotten my life back on track. Looking forward to seeing what 2020 will bring!

Barbera – My Favorites

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I was recently asked about barbera, and if I had a favorite. This is a tough question to answer, because there are so many good ones. And so many different styles. I don’t think I could pinpoint just one, and here’s why.

Barbera vs Barbera Superiore

Barbera is a grape, and just like with Nebbiolo, there are multiple ways to make it. Most winemakers have a “classic” barbera, a wine made in steel tanks with no influence of wood. The wine completes both malolactic and alcoholic fermentation in steel tanks, and remain there until bottling. These wines tend to be high in acidity, full bodied with aromas of red fruits.

You will also find barbera superiore, and this wine will have influence of oak. After pressing the juice, the wine is transferred into barrels and complete the malolactic and alcoholic fermentation in barrels instead of steel tanks.* The wood gives the wine some tannins, helps balance the acidity and you might find hints of oak flavor.

“The Mario Fontana Way”

Mario Fontana is what we would call a “traditional” wine maker, and uses big barrels for all his wines. Except his Barbera. A few years ago, he decided to use cement for this grape because that made more sense to him. And we see this with other winemakers. They may chose to interpret the grapes in different ways, and use new types of material when cultivating them. Kinda cool, right?

Now, you can see where choosing a favorite can be difficult. However, there are a few I tend to chose over and over again.

Barbera

What’s available Vinmonopolet

Trediberri Barbera d’Alba 189kr
Altare Barbera d’Alba 285kr
Burlotto Barbera d’Alba 285kr
Azelia Punta (superiore) 289kr
Cavallotto Vigna Cuculo (superiore) 300kr
Vietti La Crena (superiore) 460kr

Other Favorites

Altare Larigi
Giovanni Corino Ciabot dù Re
Burlotto Aves
Marengo Vigna Pugnane

There are so many others, but if I had to chose a few then these are high on my list.

*this might vary from winery to winery, but is a general idea of how to make this wine

When to travel to Piemonte

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In my opinion, March to mid-August is the best time to visit Piemonte. The summer months can be quite hot, but if you have a hotel with a pool it’s quite manageable. Besides, I spend most of my time in a dark wine cellar, so the outside temperature doesn’t really matter.  If Festivals are your thing perhaps September and October better floats your boat.

January

January is the coolest month in Piemonte. Temperatures can drop below 0 degrees Celsius and rarely go above 10 degrees Celsius. It is a vacation month for many Piemontese. Check availability of hotels, restaurants, and winemakers before you plan to go in January.

February

Temperatures still low in February, but slowly starting to climb. Piemonte will be quite calm, but the winemakers are working hard. Wineries will most likely be open, and less busy as February is sort of an off-season.

March

Piemonte starts warming up. Temperatures can rise to about 15 degrees. Some days you can even sit outside and have lunch. Especially if you’re Norwegian.

A highlight in March is the Wine Fair Prowein. Although this event takes place in Germany, it still affects Piemonte because many winemakers will travel there to present their wines.

April

April is the month of Vinitaly. Chances are many of the producers head to Verona for about a week, so winery visits might be difficult those days.

Another happening in April is Easter. And the day after Easter Sunday is Pasquetta. On this day, families come together and celebrate. Long lunches, picnics, barbeque, drinking, dancing & more.

May

May is one of the best months to visit Piemonte. Temperatures reach 20’s, the hills of Langhe are green and it’s time for the event Barbaresco a Tavola! Every year, multiple restaurants in Barbaresco participate in a wine tasting where you  try about 20 different Barbaresco wines blind.

Serralunga stand their ground to, inviting you to their “Wine Festival a Serralunga d’Alba” late in the month.  May is also Barbera month, with both Castagnole Lanze and Nizza Monferrato having barbera festivals.

June

Summertime! Wineries open, flowers blooming and temperatures soaring. Toward the end of the month, there is a big wine event called Hill Barolo La Morra. At this event you get the opportunity to taste the new vintage of Barolo.

July

If you like music festivals & wine, July is the month for you. Collisioni Festival takes place every July in Barolo. Previous performers include Patti Smith, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Neil Young, Steven Tyler, Placebo, Passenger, Mark Knopfler & Lenny Kravitz.

Another music event in Piemonte is the Monforte In Jazz Festival.

August

August 15th, or Ferragosto, means it’s vacation time for the people of Langhe. A lot of wineries will be closed, for a week or two while the hardworking winemakers take some well deserved time off.

At the end of August, there is a very fun event called Mangialonga. It’s a “non competitive enogastronomic hike” and takes place in La Morra.

September

Harvest usually starts mid to late September. For wine enthusiast it might be wise to book the trip at the beginning, but you never know when it will start. Hence chances of winery visits are diminished. 

Weather wise it’s a beautiful time to visit, and there are plenty of other things to do in the area. Like eat and drink. In fact, the first Sunday in September there is Degusta La Morra – an event where the winemakers of La Morra put up booths in the streets and for only £15 you can try as many wines as you like!

Verduno hosts a dinner where Pelaverga is the center of attention. Find out more here.

Bra hold their annual Cheese Festival, simply called “Cheese”, the 3rd weekend of September. Asti their Festival of Festivals (Festival delle Sagre in Italian), celebrating the customs and tradition of country life. And Verduno their “Festa del Verduno Pelaverga” celebrating their native grape Pelaverga. Neive says hello too, with their “Neive Vino e…”

October

Harvest continues into October. The end of the harvest depends on the vintage, so if you want to visit wineries, the later you go, the better chance you have.

If you’re unable to book any winery visits, you can try wines at the Cantina Comunale instead. Every Saturday in October (into November) you can try wines from the winemakers of La Morra.

October = truffles. And truffles = lots of tourists. The Truffle Festival in Alba starts early October and last until late November.

October is also the wettest month, on average, so if you want to avoid rain, maybe postpone your trip to November.

November

Truffle Festival still going strong, and some say the best truffles are found in November.

The first 3 Sundays in November, you can try wines from the winemakers of La Morra at the Cantina Comunale.

December

Things are quieting down in Piemonte. Christmas is approaching, the vines are sleeping and there is not so much to do in the vineyards. Why not celebrate New Years Eve, or Cappdanno, in one of the many amazing restaurants? I assure you they have Champagne!

Best Wine List in Oslo

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What makes a Wine List good?

What makes a good wine list? Is it the volume? The average price? Types of wines? Amount of countries represented? Range of wines? The format?

The answer here will vary. I think everyone has different expectations when ordering wine in a restaurant. You’ll see a smile on my face when a Rinaldi dolcetto makes an appearance, or when I find lots of good wines from Piemonte. Others may favor different regions, and will rejoice at the sight of a good Riesling or Rioja.

Price is also a factor. How “good” or “bad” is the markup? Do they have a good range of prices? Maybe a cheaper Barbera next to a higher priced Barolo? What are your thoughts?

Wine List Territoriet

Some of my favorite Wine Lists

There are many restaurants in Oslo, and there is a lot of good wine to find. Here are some of my favorites.

Beijing Palace

At Beijing Palace you’ll find true “Wine Geeks”, and their wine list reflects this. Who would have thought Burgundy and Dim Sum were a match made in heaven. With an astonishing number of wines, with very little markup, you can drink your way into bliss. The list is Burgundy heavy, but there’s an impressive number of wines from Piemonte. When asked why there’s so little markup, the answer was simple: “Why mark it up so high no one will buy it. We want you to drink and enjoy. And when you buy a wine, we get money to buy more wine. It’s win-win.”

Territoriet

This place is genius. With over 200 wines by the glass, you can try wines from all over the world and not break the bank (or destroy your liver). Yes, the price per glass can be a little pricey, but nowhere else I’ve been do you have this concept. (And if you know of a place, please let me know!) In a small space, with a bar and some tables & chairs you can get some snacks while sipping on a multitude of wines, all in one evening. Great staff, helpful and knowledgeable, with a record player dancing in the corner. Great spot in Oslo! You might also run into a winemaker or two, as they frequently host producers from all over the world!

Cru

Another favorite. Cru has a good selection of wines, and offer quite a few by the glass. The food here is incredible, and the wine list does not disappoint either. The prices can be a bit high, but I think it’s quite in sync with the concept of the whole restaurant. Michelin star worthy food (especially the Cru Special), beautiful interior and wonderful staff. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in Oslo.

Vinoteket

This new gem has become a go-to, with REALLY good pizza and an impressive wine list. Nicely priced, good variety, and quite a few Piemonte favorites. With frequent wine events, this is a new wine hot spot. Gaia Gaja even made an appearance. Vinoteket is one to watch.

Any other good ones?

There are so many other good restaurants in Oslo (and Norway). According to Kapital, Park Hotel Vossevangen has the best wine list in Norway. I’ve never been, but I’ll take their word for it. Park Hotel is definitely on the list of places to visit. Others that made the list are: Arakataka, Kontrast & Restaurant Bro. You can read the full article (in norwegian) here.

Favorites

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We all have our favorite wines or winemakers, and here are some of my favorites at the moment.

For Fun

Cascina Fontana Dolcetto 225,-
Looking for a wine to drink on a Tuesday night along with a bowl of pasta? Then this is your guy! And it the summer, chilling it a little may help cool you down in the hot summer months!

Trediberri Barbera 189,-
Trediberri’s first vintage was 2011 and his wines quality has skyrocketed! And at this price, this barbera is fricking steal!

Azelia Dolcetto 2013 179,-
A very interesting dolcetto, with grapes grown outside the Barolo area. This means that some of the best vineyards are actually used for Dolcetto instead of Nebbiolo, giving the grapes the best circumstances, making this Dolcetto extraordinary!

For Summer

Vietti Moscato 199,-
Get a bowl of strawberries and pop open this – it’s like you died and went to heaven. I love moscato, and I don’t even need a dessert. So good!

Trediberri Langhe Rosato 139,-
I am not a huge rose person, but if I had to pick one it’s for sure Trediberri’s Langhe Rosato. Fresh, not super sweet and made with love.

Agrapart Blanc de Blanc 508,-
Champagne is growing on me, and I really like this one. And as for Champagne, this is not super expensive. Blanc de blanc typically suits me best, and Agrapart makes a really good one!

Buy & Drink in 10 years

Marengo Barolo Brunate 599,-
Cavallotto Barolo Bricco Boschis 507,-
Corino Barolo 379,-

Some of My Favorite Champagne

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It is true I mostly stick to Barolo, but sometimes life calls for champagne. So for those occasions I have a few champagnes that are my go-to. Keep in mind I rarely drink champagne, so when I finally have some bubbles, they are pretty good ones.

Champagne (2)

Ciccio in Serralunga introduced me to Pierre Peters champagne. When I come to think of it, Ciccio has been a key player in my champagne education. The best champagne list outside of France is at Centro Storico. Of course it is not actually a list, but he has one of the best collections of champagne. He often has them by the glass, a perfect way to start a lunch and try something new.

Below you see a picture of me and Charles Philipponnat. I attended a winemakers dinner in Barolo, where he presented his wines. I think my favorite champagne is his blanc de blanc.

philipponnat

Favorite Friday Pizza Wine

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As most of you know, I make pizza on Fridays. And along with my pizza, I usually have a glass of wine (or three). Here are some of my favorite wines to drink with my pizza (or honestly just any time).

Burlotto Barbera & Barbera Aves
Marengo Barbera
Cavallotto Dolcetto
Andrea Oberto Dolcetto
Trediberri Langhe Nebbiolo

Some of these wines are available at Vinmonopolet! If you can’t find the wine you like, let me know and I can help you track it down. If you want more suggestions, you can subscribe to my Newsletter!

 

Pizza Wine

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Tignanello – why we call it the Pizza Wine

 

IMG_8591Maybe you’ve heard me say that I am having Pizza Wine with my Friday Pizza? Well, there’s a story behind the concept.

Normally, a “pizza wine” would be a dolcett, barbera or a langhe nebbiolo. Something light to have with your pizza, nothing super fancy or expensive. But we sometimes refer to the Tignanello wine as a Pizza Wine – why?

Some friends of mine were having dinner and drinking wines (some really good wines). Among those wines was the Tignanello, and compared to the other wines present it was quite “simple”. (Yes I know Tignanello is a very good wine with a very good reputation, but keep in mind the context). Anyway, after having had some truly amazing wines they opened the Tignanello, and it was clear they all struggled to sort of “place it” compared to the other ones. So one of the guys said: “You know, this wine is a great Pizza Wine”.

And thus it was forever known as “The Pizza Wine”.