Wine: Bricco dell’Oriolo
Producer: Azelia
Region/Appellation: Piemonte, Italy
Grape varieties: dolcetto
Vintage: 2013
Eye: intense red
Nose: raspberry, cherry, florals
Mouth: slightly metallic, fresh, ripe
Price Point: $14
Available at Vinmonopolet: yes
Wine list @ Mercato del Suffragio
Wine: Langhe Chardonnay
Producer: Cavallotto
Region/Appellation: Piemonte, Italy
Grape varieties: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2013
Eye: pale yellow
Nose: citrus, green apple, white pepper, no oak
Mouth: medium acidity, fresh, minerals
Price Point: $19
Available at Vinmonopolet: maybe
Friday Pizza has been a longstanding tradition. When Friday comes around, wherever I am, I try to make pizza. Lake Como, Milano, Stavanger, Boston; doesn’t matter. Recently, Friday Pizza has been accompanied by Blind Tasting. This particular occasion was to teach my brother’s friend a little about wine. We decided to stay in one area, so Piemonte wines were on the menu.
It ended up being one of each grape and then of course both versions of Nebbiolo. And my dad picked wines that show the typical characteristics of each one. Dolcetto and Barbera by Bartolo Mascarello. Nebbiolo and Barolo from Marengo. Absolutely fantastic. The 2012 Barolo was a little young but decanting it helped slightly. Overall a great meal and an interesting “wine lesson”.
Finally, a visit to Conterno. This winery has been on the list for quite some time, and I was very happy when the dream became reality. Located in Monforte, it has an amazing view (as you can see above) and the winery is recently renovated, absolutely stunning.
Roberto Conterno, the grandson of Giacomo, now runs the winery and he gave us the tour (along with a translator). I personally thought his English was good, but none the less… The winery is relatively small, they produce a small quantity of wine, and as of now they only really make 3 different wines, sometimes 4 when they also make the Monfortino. He uses big botti, a “traditionalist”, and all his wines are aged in wood (none in stainless steel).
The tasting consisted of his Barbera and the 2 barolos. Conterno is known for his Francia, that he uses both for his barbera and one of the barolos. I thought the 2014 Barbera Francia was excellent, which is rather strange, because 2014 was a difficult year and the wines have been so so… Roberto joined us for a glass or two, and passionately explained his philosophy. Overall a fantastic visit.
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
PIEMONTEGIRL 