Piedmont Italy

Vespolina creates light-red colored wines, with sour cherry and berry aromas lifted by balsamic notes combined with roses, violets, and spice-like pepper on the nose.  Typically planted in Northern Piemonte around Gattinara and Ghemme, Vespolina is usually blended with other grapes such as Bonarda Piemontese and Nebbiolo.

Timorasso is a Piemontese white grape that yields crisp, high acid, and very mineral-forward wines, with white floral aromas, ripe stone fruit, and bright citrus flavors.  The high acidity makes it a white wine suitable for ag

ing.

From this grape, two of the most world-renowned wines are made, Barolo and Barbaresco, plus being instrumental in many more DOC and DOCG wines throughout Northern Italy.  The name Nebbiolo comes from the word “nebbia,” which means “fog” a very common occurrence in Piemonte.  Nebbiolo produces very different wines affected by the particular vineyard site.  Nebbiolo expresses bold, tannic but elegant red wines.  Characteristically the color of these wines is light and bright, turning more brick in hues with age.  Nebbiolo’s typical aromas are of delicate red fruits and roses, with cherry, leather, coffee, tar, anise, and earthy notes on the palate combined with grippy tannins.

This grape is used to produce Piedmont’s Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti. Moscato is recognizable for its unmistakable bouquet that almost always includes musk, peach, and sage, with secondary aromas of lime, wisteria, honey and white flowers. In sparkling wines, you can also find creamy notes due to the yeast. Typically low in alcohol with elegant structure, but always compact, with medium freshness and low minerality.

Grignolino is a red grape from Piedmont, which exudes a lovely aroma of fresh flowers, small berries, and spices such as white pepper. Grignolino’s high acidity and crisp tannins make it a great pairing with fatty foods.

In Piemonte, the name Dolcetto means “little sweet one.”  There are eleven DOC wines made from this grape throughout Piemonte with different characteristics.  Generally, Dolcetto presents soft tannins and low acidity.  A typical Dolcetto wine is round and fruity, offering dark, gently spicy aromas with earthy undertones and nutty notes in more tannic examples.

Cortese is a white grape variety that is most famous for its role in the crisp, lime-scented wines of Gavi. The variety is known for its high acidity and freshness. Apple, peach, and honeydew flavors are commonly associated with Cortese wine, with lime, almond, and light herbal or grassy aromas.

Arneis, in the local dialect, means “little rascal,” because of its difficult cultivation, and used to be called Nebbiolo Bianco due to the prized nature of the grape (they share no relation). It used to be planted near precious Nebbiolo vines to attract birds to its sweet scent, and away from the Nebbiolo. Arneis wines are delicately straw green with aromas of white flowers, chamomile tea, white peach, and apricot, with flavors of citrus, ripe pear, and sweet almond. Typically light, fresh, and crisp.

One of the most widely planted native grapes in Italy, classic characteristics of Barbera include low tannins, high acidity and very concentrated color, which makes it good for blending. Generally Barberas have grape-forward aromas with red fruit, underbush and delicate spice on the palate, with a very dry finish.

Brachetto is an aromatic red grape that can generate both still and sparkling wines. Aromatic and light-bodied with lovely tart aromas and flavors of sour red cherry, red berry, and cherry pie.. Perfect with desserts.