Known as the Burgundy of Italy, the Piedmont region is celebrated for its superstar grapes and wines.
Wineries in this region offer a range of wines, with different textures and taste profiles, even from the same grape variety. Knowing these wines can be a great first step to exploring Italy’s culinary style.
Let’s start our winey adventure down the hills of Piedmont!
Where’s the Piedmont Wine Region?
Located at the foot of the Italian Alps, the Piedmont region has one of the best climates for growing vines. This region has a unique geography:
- The Alps in the North and West
- The Apennine Mountains in the Southeast
- The fertile plains off the coast of the Po River
These features of the region give rise to a phenomenon called diurnal temperatures.
This area goes through sharp temperature changes during the night and day. The reason is the north’s cold alpine climate and the south’s warm Mediterranean climate. This difference creates a favorable condition for growing premium grapes that yield exquisite wine.
The highest quality products come from this region. However, you can find vineyards and wineries scattered all around Piedmont.
Piedmont Red Wine Varieties
The most famous wines in Piedmont come from three grape types: Barbera, Nebbiolo, and Dolcetto. Other red and white wines include Freisa, Brachetto, Ruche, Moscato, Cortese, and Arneis.
Piedmont produces most of Italy’s finest wines. They all have DOC and DOCG designations, meaning they have the highest quality. Both red and white wine varieties are produced in the region, with red wine making up over 60% of the products. These are the most widely produced wines in Piedmont:
Barbera
Barbera wine gets its name from the grape variety planted in the lower lands of the Piedmont region. The soil is calcareous. And the south-facing terroir is warm, producing more acidic, tangy taste profiles. The low tannin content means you can drink the wine young within a few months after bottling.
Barbera produces large, dark ruby red berries, giving the wine the same intense red color.
This hardy variety is the most planted in Piedmont. It adapts to different climates, so you can find it in many countries. And given its short fermentation time, it’s one of Piedmont’s most affordable but palatable red wines.
Barbera d’Alba, Barbera d’Asti, and Barbera del Monferrato are the most celebrated and highest-quality Barbera types. While they vary in taste profile, they all share the fruity, high acidity character.
Barbera d’Alba
Mainly produced in Alba, Barbera d’Alba wine can vary slightly based on the terroir. For example, clay and limestone soil grapes yield a more acidic and deeper taste profile. But wine from sandy and chalky soil is more aromatic and finer.
While retaining the signature Barbera fruity, Barbera d’Alba has high acidity and low tannins. The Superiore versions spend at least 12 months in oak barrels. So they taste woody and spicy, with a balsamic character.
The prominent features of Barbera d’Alba grapes include:
- Sweet
- High acidity
- Low tannin
- Sour cherry
- Raspberry
It pairs well with roasted or braised meat, pasta, and pizza. But its fruity and full-bodied nature makes it a perfect wine for almost any dish.
If you want a fine Barbera d’Alba, you can’t go wrong with this Luciano Sandrone d’Alba, which demonstrates all the goodness you’ve heard about this variety. With a DOC status, this product fills your palate with flavor, fruity richness, and pleasant aromas.
Barbera d’Asti
This variety is produced in the Alessandria and Asti provinces. It has the characteristic ruby-red color of the Barbera family and comes in both oaked and unoaked varieties.
It comes in DOC, DOCG, and Superiore designations, each with specific alcohol content and aging requirements. For example, the Superiore variety must be oaked and aged at least 12 months, half of which must be in oak barrels.
The taste profile of Barbera d’Asti starts with red and black fruits, including the following:
- Plums
- Blackberry
- Raspberry
- Cherry
It develops hints of balsamic, jam, spicy notes, and licorice with aging. The oaked versions have softer acidity and a rounder body. But the steel-aged varieties are fresher with more natural acidity.
Although it pairs well with most dishes, it goes perfectly with red meat, chicken, blue cheese, and risotto. My favorite Barbera d’Asti DOCG is this Brida Bricco Della Bigotta with a rich, fruity flavor and oaked for 15 months.
Barbera del Monferrato
Produced in the province of Alessandria, Barbera del Monferro is the lesser-known of the three Barbera wines. It has the characteristic deep ruby color and a complex taste profile of cherries and plums. It’s light-bodied, aromatic, and has a DOCG designation, meaning it’s the highest quality.
The most prominent qualities of Barbera Del Monferrato include:
- Semi-dry
- Balanced acidity
- Fruity
- Earthy
- Rustic
- Tangy
- Rich
Since Barbera del Monferrato has balanced acidity, it pairs well with a wide range of dishes, including acidic ones, as well as lamb, pork, and pasta.
One of the most exquisite Barbera del Monferrato wines is the Rivalta, produced in the Villa Sparina winery in Gavi. In addition to the signature black and red fruit notes, it has hints of coffee, mint, and vanilla.
Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo is the most celebrated grape variety in Piedmont. And it produces this region’s most sought-after wine variety. Nebbiolo grapes are picky about the weather and geographic conditions they grow in. So, they aren’t grown as much as other varieties.
The Nebbiolo is early to bloom and late to ripen. So, it experiences more weather changes than the other varieties. The hardy ones that survive yield a wine high in acidity, tannin, and hints of red fruits.
Nebbiolo wines are age-worthy thanks to their tannin content and astringency. Youthful Nebbiolo is sharp, acidic, and unapproachable. But the aged variety is exquisitely soft, round, and complex. Some varieties can age even for up to 40 years.
Even the color tends to brighten as the wine ages. While it’s dark and opaque at first, it turns into a transparent brick-red color.
The main flavors in a Nebbiolo wine include:
- Berries
- Cherries
- Citrus
- Roses
- Tar
- Leather
- Truffles
- Tobacco
Nebbiolo is highly terroir-sensitive, creating a wide variety of taste profiles. As a result, it pairs with many different dishes, from meaty, creamy dishes, to cheese, pasta, and veggies.
Nebbiolo wines are labeled differently, mostly based on the regions they hail from. Some of the most prestigious Nebbiolo wines, with DOC and DOCG ratings, include:
- Barolo
- Barbaresco
- Langhe Nebbiolo
- Nebbiolo d’Alba
- Roero
Dolcetto
Dolcetto grapes are another dark-red variety predominantly produced in Piedmont. Although the word means “little sweet one” in Italian, the wine is dry and can sometimes be savory. Mostly grown in Alba and Dogliani, Dolcetto grapes create wines with balanced tannin contents and fruity flavors.
Dolcetto wines can be enjoyed in their youth since they’re not overwhelmingly tannic. Plus, their tannin content doesn’t overpower the food’s flavor, so they pair well with a wide range of dishes. You can pair Dolcetto with pizza, pasta, grilled meat, tomato sauce, and creamy dishes.
If you’ve never tried Dolcetto before, San Silvestro Dolcetto d’Alba “Primaio” can be a great place to start. Made of 100% Dolcetto grapes, this DOC-grade wine is easy on the palate with a soft, fruity flavor.
Let’s compare these three prominent Piedmont varieties.
| Grape Variety | Taste Profile | Area |
| Barbera |
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| Nebiolo |
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| Dolcetto |
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Less-Known Piedmont Grape Varieties
The red grapes listed above are the most famous and highly regarded varieties that Piedmont is known for. However, this list is by no means exhaustive. Below are other red wines produced in the region:
| Grape Variety | Taste Profile | Area |
| Freisa |
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Turin |
| Brachetto |
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| Ruche |
|
Castagnole Monferrato |
| Vespolina |
|
Colline Novaresi |
Piedmont White Wines
Although Piedmont is widely known as a red wine region, you can find exalting white wines, too. They are in different provinces, including Roero, Monferrato Astigiano, Colli Tortonesi, and Canavese.
Below are the most noteworthy whites —which can also be sparkling— produced in Piedmont.
| Grape Variety | Taste Profile | Area |
| Moscato | Citrus, pear, honeysuckle, slightly sweet | Asti |
| Cortese | Acidic, apple, peach, honeydew | Gavi |
| Arnies | Almon, nutmeg, peach, apple, honey | Roero |
| Chardonnay | Banana, green apple, honey, vanilla | Alessandria, Asti |
| Timorasso | Floral, acidic, full-bodied | Colli Tortonesi |
Final Words
Piedmont’s rich soil and favorable climate are the ideal conditions for world-renowned grapes, so much so that some of these varieties don’t thrive in other regions. Although Piedmont is known for its red wines, many top-notch white wines also come from this region.
