NEBBIOLO D’ALBA DOC

Nebbiolo d’Alba: Piedmont in a glass

Nebbiolo d’Alba is certainly one of the best known and most appreciated red wines in Piedmont. Obviously, it is a DOC product, which can only be produced in a specific area: the Langa of Cuneo. Let’s say that we can consider it almost a brother of Baralo, both are the fruit of Nebbiolo grapes and the ancient name by which Barolo was originally known was precisely Nebbiolo Vecchio.

Sharing the same “paternity”, the stories of the two famous wines are obviously intertwined. The first specific references to Nebbiolo can be found as far back as the Middle Ages, in fact it seems that in the 12th century it was already widespread and appreciated, not only throughout Piedmont but also in the most important courts of the time, in fact it was one of Federico Barbarossa’s favourites.

Like Barolo, its fame grew exponentially over the centuries, not only at home but also in Europe. An important contribution to the cultivation of this grape variety came in the first decades of the 19th century thanks to a great woman, the Marquise Giulia Falletti di Barolo, a noblewoman of the French aristocracy, born Julliet Colbert, who married the Marquis Tancredi Falletti di Barolo, owner of the local estates and land, who, in spite of her lineage, which could allow a woman to lead a life of leisure and idleness, as well as the many charitable works for the sick and destitute that she used to take care of, chose to work and dedicated a large part of her life to the production and promotion of this grape, making a fundamental contribution to its expansion. Alongside her was Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour, who, assisted by the French count and oenologist Louis Oudart, studied how to make dry wine in order to create an important wine in Italy too, “in the fashion of the time like Bordeaux”, which would therefore also be appreciated in foreign courts, a result that was soon achieved not only by the House of Savoy in Turin but also by the other most important European families.

As for the name, even today there is still some uncertainty as to its true origin. Perhaps Nebbiolo derives from nebbia (fog), like the one that envelops the hills when the grapes ripen and it is time to harvest, in fact this vine is late compared to other grapes, bringing the harvest period between the end of October and the beginning of November. For others, however, the name derives from the pruina (bloom), a substance that covers the berries, making them opaque so that they seem enveloped in fog. These theories are supported by an ancient legend handed down orally from generation to generation in farming families, which tells us about the origins of the Piedmontese vine par excellence: “A monk lived in an abbey and was responsible for looking after the vegetable garden and a small vineyard, which was used to produce wine for religious services. The monk was very busy with his agricultural activities, which he carried out with zeal, even at the cost of neglecting meditation and prayer. One fine day, as he left his cell to go to the garden, he saw the vineyard shrouded in thick fog and realised that this was a sign from the Lord, warning him to devote more time to the contemplative life and a little less to those vines. The monk didn’t ask for it twice, he stopped cultivating the land and devoted himself exclusively to his daily prayers, until the time of the grape harvest when the fog finally cleared and settled on the ripe grapes, making them shine like sapphires”.

Nebbiolo is certainly a wine closely linked to its territory, in fact, in order to obtain the right result, the grapes must come from some specific areas of the Langhe and the Tanaro river, in fact, only 25 municipalities can boast its production.

This marvellous wine, with its intense red colour, is still today one of the favourites of connoisseurs with the most refined palates. In fact, thanks to its bouquet, which brings those who taste it back to its land of origin, this red wine “tastes of the Langhe” with olfactory notes ranging from hazelnut to truffle and all the fruits of the local woods.

Nebbiolo is certainly an excellent table wine, thanks to its dry but structured flavour and at the same time it is perfect for enhancing any dish, even an important one, without overpowering its flavours. It goes without saying that it is perfect, given how closely it is linked to its origins and land, with the typical dishes of traditional Piedmontese cuisine.