When we talk about Piemonte — specifically the southern region and the Langhe hills — we tend to think of Barolo and Barbaresco. These wines are powerful, highly acidic, and full of fruit and aromatics. As discussed last week, when we travel up north to Alto Piemonte, the Nebbiolo grape continues to thrive, but the resulting wines have even more acid, allowing our palates to perceive them as lighter-bodied and less tannic. They also go by a different name: Spanna.
But the story of northern Italian Nebbiolo doesn’t stop with Spanna. If we head to the northwestern part of Alto Piemonte, we find a small DOCG called Carema where there are age-worthy Nebbiolos with even more acid than Spanna. Then, if we take a look at the alpine Valtellina region at the very top of Italy, we find yet another place where Nebbiolo grows and showcases a different personality.
On this episode of “Wine 101,” Keith discusses the shifting characteristics of Nebbiolo as he explores the Carema and Valtellina regions. If you thought Nebbiolo was just Barolo and Barbaresco, think again, and tune in for more.
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“Wine 101” was produced, recorded, and edited by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big old shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin for creating VinePair. Big shout-out to Danielle Grinberg, the art director of VinePair, for creating the most awesome logo for this podcast. Also, Darby Cicci for the theme song. And I want to thank the entire VinePair staff for helping me learn something new every day. See you next week.
*Image retrieved from Alessandro Cristiano via stock.adobe.com
