Piedmont Wine Guide: Grapes, Appellations & Producers

The 'king of wines'

Soil: Calcareous marl on steep Langhe hills; aspect is everything.
Style: Powerful, tar-and-roses Nebbiolo — austere young, sublime with age.
Top sites: Top communes/MGAs: Cannubi, Brunate, Cerequio, Monfortino (Monforte).
Vintages: 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021
Producers: Giuseppe Rinaldi

Tip · Barolo must be 100% Nebbiolo and aged ~38 months. 'Tar and roses' is the textbook descriptor — look for it blind.

Value pick

G.D. Vajra Barolo 'Albe' · ~$55

A classic, fragrant Barolo from a beloved producer — genuine cru-quality Nebbiolo at the category's value end.

Collector pick

Giacomo Conterno 'Monfortino' Barolo Riserva · ~$1,200 · 2015

The most legendary, longest-lived Barolo of all — a benchmark Italian collectible.

Nebbiolo's softer sibling

Soil: Slightly richer soils, lower altitude, closer to the river Tanaro.
Style: Nebbiolo with more perfume and finesse, a touch earlier to drink than Barolo.
Top sites: Famed crus: Asili, Rabajà, Martinenga, Sorì Tildin.
Vintages: 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021
Producers: Produttori del Barbaresco

Tip · Same grape as Barolo; the warmer, river-influenced site gives a more elegant, earlier-approachable wine.

Value pick

Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco (normale) · ~$40

The great co-op's village wine — arguably the best value in all of fine Nebbiolo.

Collector pick

Gaja 'Sorì Tildìn' Barbaresco · ~$600 · 2018

A single-vineyard Nebbiolo from Italy's most famous producer — iconic and age-worthy.

Barbera & Moscato country

Soil: Sandy and calcareous hills across a broad zone east of Alba.
Style: Juicy high-acid Barbera, easy Dolcetto, and sweet sparkling Moscato d'Asti.
Top sites: Barbera d'Asti and Nizza (its top cru); Moscato d'Asti DOCG.
Vintages: 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Producers: Braida (Bricco dell'Uccellone)

Tip · Barbera is the daily-drinking red — high acid, low tannin, deep colour. Dolcetto is even earlier-drinking.

Value pick

Vietti Barbera d'Asti 'Tre Vigne' · ~$25

Juicy, deep, high-acid Barbera from a top Langhe name — a weeknight steal.

Collector pick

Braida 'Bricco dell'Uccellone' Barbera d'Asti · ~$60 · 2019

The wine that proved Barbera could be serious and ageworthy — a modern Piedmont classic.