Nebbiolo in less than 60 Seconds.
This wine is: Nebbiolo from Northern Italy. Very special wine.
Langhe Nebbiolo comes from the Piedmont in Northern Italy just like Barolo and Barbaresco.
The Langhe region contains both valleys and hills with a variety of soil types and, of course, altitudes. Nebbiolo my favorite red grape because it keeps me guessing.
Full-bodied red wine but also translucent.
I look for red cherry fruit, fennel, purple flowers, rose water, cranberry, raspberry seed…when fresh, herbaceous…with age: freshly tanned leather, clove, mushrooms.
For a good one, It’s all about the producer. Find a winemaker who makes spectacular Barolo or Barbaresco, made from the very same grape, the declassified Langhe Nebbiolo and Nebbiolo-based blends promise to reflect house style, quality, and, of course value in the face of wines far more expensive. Go for it. Look to spend $25-$40.
What do I eat with it? I love casual Italian American food. Here, favoring country fare of the North: butter not olive oil, risotto not pasta, beef…mushrooms, truffles if you’re fancy…and, for the daring, even flavorful fresh water fish dishes like Polenta Con Il Merluzzo.
Favorite producers: Cantina del Pino, Fratelli Alessandria, Treddiberi.
Conclusion: Worth it. A fine wine of the world and window in: the sommelier’s balance: elegance + power + concentration + restraint… you can’t help but return to the glass out of curiosity…by the time you start to figure it out, empty bottle.
Red
Poultry
Grilled Foods
Red Meat
Grilled Vegetables
Charcuterie & Cured Foods
Smoked Foods
