Wine: Barbera d’alba
Producer: Elio Altare
Region/Appellation: Piemonte, Italy
Grape varieties: Barbera
Vintage: 2011
Eye: ruby red, violet reflections
Nose: violets, black cherry
Mouth: dark red fruits, full bodied, good acidity
Price Point: $15
Available at Vinmonopolet: Yes
Available at Systembolaget: nei
This Christmas, I experienced Bottle Variance for the first time. It was the strangest thing. We opened 2 Azelia Barolo Margheria 2004, but they tasted like two completely different wines. Both were good: there was nothing wrong with either of the wines, but when we were blind tasting, no one guessed they were the same wine, or even the same vintage.
Now, this can happen to any wine maker, any wine at any time. Remember, these are products of nature, so there is very little control over the end products. There is also the topic of storage: were they stored at the same place, at the same temperature? The corks, are they the same? Wine makers tend to experiment with different corks, which then could make the bottles act differently. There are so many factors that can affect the wine, which is why bottle variance occurs.
Nonetheless, Azelia makes amazing wines and both these wines were incredible! If you want to know more about Azelia, you can check out their website.
I love dolcetto. Always have. It’s easy to drink, refreshing, doesn’t need to be accompanied by food and has little to no tannins. Vietti’s is no exception; a world class wine! Not that their other wines are not good either, I mean all their wines are top notch. Vietti even has a soft spot for Barbera. But I digress.
Why Dolcetto is often forgotten, put aside and left behind I will never know. I understand that Barolo is the big gun in Piemonte, and I can see that dolcetto would be “plain” in comparison. But who says wine always have to be big and expensive? There is no need to open a $50 bottle of wine on a regular Tuesday evening. I usually save my Barolo’s for guests or special occasions, and pick the “smaller” wines on “regular” days.
Wine: Tre Vigne
Producer: Vietti
Region/Appellation: Piemonte, Italy
Grape varieties: Dolcetto
Vintage: 2014
Eye: Purple red
Nose: black cherry, raspberry, blueberry, minerals
Mouth: red berries, soft tannins, moderate acidity, well balanced
Price Point: $20
Available at Vinmonopolet: yes
Available at Systembolaget: yes
Andrea Oberto, my newest friend in Barolo, makes a wonderful Barbera Giada. Some may like to call it a Barbera Superiore, which means that it’s made from the barber grapes but vinified differently, most likely either in oak or longer in oak (compared to the classic barbera). Those who understand Norwegian can read SMAK’s tasting notes onAndrea Oberto’s Giada here.
Wine: Barbera Giada
Producer: Andrea Oberto
Region/Appellation: Piemonte, Italy
Grape varieties: Barbera
Vintage: 2015
Eye: deep purple ruby
Nose: plums, berries,
Mouth: tobacco, coffee, balanced, long finish
Price Point: $40
Available at Vinmonopolet: yes
Available at Systembolaget: no
Winery Wednesday is back! Last October I had the sincere pleasure of meeting Andrea Oberto! It was probably the most legendary winery visit I have ever had.
It started with just me and Andrea, speaking ONLY Italian. He showed me the cellar and we tasted his wines. Then, this swiss couple show up. And guess what? They only speak German and very little English. And Andrea does not speak any English or German. So, the Norwegian (me) had to translate. So, I did the visit all over again! 4 hours later, I left with wine for my cellar and a dinner invitation!
Andrea Oberto started his winery in 1978, and in 2003 the new wine cellar was finished. You can now find Andrea near the town of Verduno, in the outskirts of La Morra. He has 16 acres of vineyards, among them are Barolo Brunate, Barolo Rocche and Barolo Albarella.
If you ever have the chance to visit with Andrea, you should! I can come as a translator! To make an appointment you can email the cantina obertoandrea@libero.it or call 0173 50104. If you go, say hello from me! And stay tuned for more Winery Wednesday!
Ho Prenotato? Did you make a reservation?
These phrases are commonly heard in the local restaurants in Langhe. As the region is becoming more and more popular, the restaurants are of course filling up, especially during the busiest seasons. Restaurants like More e Macine and Osteria Veglio are often very full! So, my advice to you? Make a reservation!
Don’t expect to show up with 10 people on a Friday and have there be a table available. Ok, maybe you’ll get lucky and they’ll have one for you, but you can expect them to say: Ho prenotato? And if you make a reservation you are guaranteed to eat at the place you want, instead of having to find a random place and potentially be really disappointed. And the restaurants appreciate it too 😉
Mauro Veglio and Alessandro Veglio have joined their wineries! Two great producers have now become one! Mauro is Alessandro’s uncle, so they are keeping it in the family 😉 Their wines are similar in styles and they share the same philosophy, so this should be a wonderful adventure! I am very excited to see what the future has in store. Congratulations!
Mauro Veglio, Daniela and Alessandro Veglio
**Picture borrowed from Mauro Veglio
Brunate is one of my favorite crus, and the fact that Marengo produces it just makes it even better. The vineyards is composed of sandy soils with southern exposure, located in the zones of Barolo and La Morra. Last year I had the 1988, and let me just say that the 2010 can be stored away for about 30 more years! Not saying that the 2010 isn’t good now, just way too young!
Wine: Barolo Brunate
Producer: Marengo
Region/Appellation: Piemonte, Italy
Grape varieties: Nebbiolo
Vintage: 2010
Eye: deep red
Nose: red berries, herbs, some tobacco, floral
Mouth: well balanced. herbal, good acidity, smooth tannins
Price Point: $62
Available at Vinmonopolet: maybe
Available at Systembolaget: no
PIEMONTEGIRL 