There are many more wineries in Piemonte than then ones pictured but these are some of my favorites. You can also check out Winery Wednesday to read more about them.
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
After a sort of “hiatus” I am finally going back to Piemonte! Since I moved back to Oslo it’s not as easy to take a quick trip for the weekend as it was when I lived in Milan. But the time has finally come! Yay! As per usual, my schedule is jam-packed with lunches, dinners and winery visits.. And this time I will be visiting new wineries. Should be interesting!
Since the trip is short, I will mostly be eating at the same places and seeing many of the “usual” people, but I am not complaining!! I can’t wait to eat at Osteria Veglio, More e Macine and Osteria Vignaiolo. Ciccio is of course on the itinerary along with some champagne! And I will probably be hanging around Annunziata with my friends (Altare, Corino, Veglio – and the geese!!)
If you’re in Piemonte October 12-15 let me know!
Lucky me. Barrel tasting with Elio at his winery in Cinque Terre was an extraordinary experience and was the catapult that has led to so many wonderful experiences. My family was vacationing in the area and coincidentally Elio was there tending to his grapes. My dad managed to arrange a visit, a visit that turned out to be legendary.
The visit started with a trip in the vineyards. Have you ever been to Cinque Terre? Let me tell you, it’s steep and rough terrain, so how they do vineyard work is beyond me! There’s no way to bring a tractor down, so they have to do everything by hand. Yikes! And harvest time? Carrying all those baskets of grapes up and down that steep uneven hill? It’s only for a certain type of superhuman!
After the trip in the vineyard, he brought us to the cellar, where we proceeded to barrel taste! Keep in mind, I was only 18 at the time and this was my first wine experience whatsoever. The whole concept blew my mind and I marveled at the man standing before me. How could this (older) man have so much energy (and be in such good shape)? I had never met a person like him before and I was amazed at his passion and love for what was to me only grapes back then. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I started to love wine shortly after we met Elio.
If you ever have the chance to meet him (and his incredible daugther Silvia) take it! And I recommend traveling to Cinque Terre, if not for the wine then for the beautiful landscape!
Photo by Torstein Harildstad
Elio Altare is known for his amazing wines, but what you may not have known is that on the side he also makes salami! If you sneak away during one of the tours at the cellar you can find his salami hanging form the ceiling, waiting to be “harvested”. Elio has tons of energy and he puts all this energy into many “side” projects. Everytime I see him he has something new in the wings. I wonder what it will be next time!
Elio Altare is known for his amazing wines, but what you may not know is that on the side he also makes salami! If you sneak away during one of the tours at the cellar you can find his salami hanging form the ceiling, waiting to be “harvested”. He doesn’t really sell them, they are mostly for family and friends. He is a farmer, to the core, so these projects are never about the money.
Photo by Torstein Harildstad
Elio has tons of energy and he puts all this energy into many “side” projects. Everytime I see him he has something new in the wings. Last I heard he was thinking about making bubbles. I wonder what it will be next time!
As a farmer, Elio Altare does not only grow wine, he also has his own garden. If you are lukcy, you will find him braiding onions or picking fruits of the trees beside the winery, and he will most likely be sporting this wonderful red outfit (pictured below). And if you know Elio, you know that he doesn’t grow fruits and vegetables to make money; he does it because that way he’s certain they are organic. Besides, I think he enjoys it! Once a farmer, always a farmer.
What I’m guessing started as a small garden for the family, has grown, and the Altare family has more produce then they can eat. So, they sometimes give it away! My family and I were visiting Elio Altare one day a few years ago and we found him in the garden braiding onions. (Btw, braiding onions is just braiding the green “leaves”, a way to make them stick together). Anyway, he was nice enough to give us a few bunches to bring home.
And here I am (a few years ago) proudly holding Elio Altare’s onions in front of my family’s house in Norway! If I remember correctly, we did actually eat them. How many people can say they have had Altare onions for dinner?
Wines are good all year, but some work better than others as “summer wine”. Below are a few of my favorites to drink during the summer months (or weeks if you live in Norway!)
Starting from the left, we have Ettore Germano’s Herzu. It is by far one of my favorite whites from Piemonte. I don’t usually enjoy riesling, but this wine is superb, especially on a hot day. Next up is Cavallotto’s Langhe Chardonnay. Always a good choice.
Moving away from white to red, we have Freisa by Bartolo Mascarello. I am not usually very fond of freisa for some reason, but it can be quite enjoyable in the summer time (don’t know why it tastes better than in the winter, but whatever). Now, dolcetto might be my all time favorite wine to drink in the summer. A glass of slightly chilled dolcetto is hard to beat. Mauro Veglio and Elio Altare make excellent dolcetto, so you can’t go wrong there! After dolcetto comes barbera and Vietti’s La Crena might be the best of the best! Although it is a heavier wine and might be best to enjoy with food, barbera is still a very good choice! Last but not least we have Langhe Nebbiolo. The Rinaldi “nebbe” is fresh and not too heavy (although world class and on Barolo level) so if you can get your hands on this, you will not be disappointed!
Notice I did not mention barolo. Not because barolo is bad or because I don’t drink barolo in july, but because when I think of summer wine barolo is not the first thing that comes to mind. On a hot summer day I prefer a light wine, without too many tannins, and the wines mentioned above fit my “criteria”.
Most of these you can find at Vinmonopolet (or they should have them) but they may be sold out. I always recommend checking online.
Every year for his birthday, my dad throws a BBQ by the name of “Pylsa & Barolo”. This way he can celebrate his birthday with his friends without making it an official birthday. This year was special because he turned 50! He decided to fly down his closest friends and family to celebrate in Barolo! We invaded La Morra and occupied all of Corte Gondina. Many events were scheduled, but the main event that started the whole thing is Pylsa & Barolo. Below are some photos of the event. You’ll find the wine lineup at the end!
Throwback to working hard (or hardly working) at Vinitaly 2017 with “The Boss”
PIEMONTEGIRL 