Piedmont

The name of the region, Piemonte translates to ‘foot of the mountain’. The key wines of the region are grown in the low foothills of the Alps that have a distinct impression on the climate of the region. Higher altitudes quickly become too cool while nearer the Mediterranean, low flat plains become more suited to growing rice than grapes. Most of the wines of Piemonte are robust reds that pair well with the traditional diet of game, truffles, mushroom, grains and root vegetables that can withstand the cold winter months. The cheeses of Piemonte are also famous, and many are made from the milk of sheep that graze the Alta Langhe hills that surround the wine regions of Alba and Asti. These cheeses are wonderfully mild and creamy, something like French Camembert. The towns of Alba and Asti are important for the region and their names appear on labels and alongside both red and white grape varieties and can be sparkling or still. The DOCG of Asti is for a gently sparkling (spumante), semi-sweet wine around 9% Abv while Moscato D’Asti is lower in alcohol (around 5%) making it slightly sweeter and a little less fizzy (frizzante). To the east is the region of Gavi that makes zesty and fresh white wines in the hilly regions further away from the influence of the mountains. In Barolo and Barberesco the effect of the Alps is most obvious from the mists that seem a constant phenomenon during harvest. Created by cool air descending from the mountains meeting the warmer air moving inland from the Mediterranean, the Nebbiolo grape variety for both wines translates into mist, from the local Italian word ‘nebia’.