The Langhe
Piedmont Wine:
“Wine is the poetry breathed from the land”, said Mario Soldati,
an eminent film director and writer who was born in Turin. No
visitor can discover Piedmont without exploring and experiencing
the rich and ancient culture of good food and wine: in autumn,
perhaps, when the country air has the fragrance of fermenting
grapes and ripe truffles.
Piedmont (Piedmont in Italian) is an important wine-producing region in
northwestern Italy. Its name, which means "foot of the mountain," refers to its
place at the base of the Alps, which create the natural boundary between Italy
and its two neighbors France and Switzerland.
A majority of the region's
vineyards are southeast of Turin, the capital of Piedmont, although there are a
few to the north and northeast of Turin.
Red wines are the favorites in this region, and
the premier grape variety is NEBBIOLO, which is used in
three of the DOCG wines and in a number of the DOC wines. BARBERA is the most widely planted variety, however, taking up over half
the available vineyard space. |
|
The hills of the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato;
Canavese; Coste della Sesia; and the hill country around Novara. These
are known as the “distretti del vino”, the wine growing areas,
par excellence, the hills and mountains where the land is given over to
grape growing.
In Piedmont, the strength of tradition of wine making
can be clearly seen from the extent of the vineyards and the range and
number of wines produced, but above all at the village fairs celebrating
the grape and the new wines of the season. Wine is not simply a product
to be marketed, but an essential part of life, a fundamental influence
on the philosophy and culture of the people as a whole. For the country
communities in Piedmont the grape harvest is an important event in the
year. It is a time when memories of the past and deep rooted traditions
are reinforced, as the art of wine making is practised yet again. Yet
this does not mean that this art is closed to modern techniques and
innovative technology. There are a whole host of events that allow a
visitor to experience the excitement of the grape harvest, to savour the
tastes and the fragrance, to be part of the fascinating rituals enacted
annually, from the grape picking in the vineyard to the arcane mysteries
of the cellars where the final product is carefully stored to continue
in silence the magical process that will give us next year’s wine.
The most interesting opportunities are offered by the
Vinum fair, held in Alba, and Cantine Aperte (Open Cellars) in the
Langhe and Roero.
The secrets of Piedmont’s winemaking culture and skills
have been jealously protected over the centuries, through an exclusively
oral tradition passed on from generation to generation, and consisting
of stories, anecdotes, maxims, and peasant lore. In Piedmont today, wine
museums have been set up to record and illustrate the history of
winemaking and its role in the life of the people. Thus wine lovers from
all over the world can understand and enter into the spirit of this
traditional world through degustations, history, music and
theatre performances.
To promote the DOC and DOCG wines of the region, a new
agency has been set up:
the Enoteca del Piedmont, a Consortium uniting together ten
enoteche (groups already dedicated to presenting Piedmontese wine to the
public). Every year the cantine sociali, (communal cellar and
commercial facilities shared by a number of producers in the same
growing area), attract 400,000 visitors for tastings and presentations.
Often located in castles or historic stately homes, they have become
excellent showcases for the products and wine culture of Piedmont.
Another yearly event, Turin’s international wine fair, the Salone del
vino, always immensely successful and packed out by local and
international visitors, promotes Piedmontese food and wine very
effectively. Here wine buffs can participate in degustations of
the prize winning wines (even those that have been awarded Italy’s most
prestigious title, the Tre Bicchieri – three glasses) and buy bottles of
the wine of their choice directly from the producer.
I Love Italian Wine and Food series - Piedmont Region: an article
Wieries in Piedmont
Italian Wine
|
