Barbera is the most widely planted grape in the region, but Nebbiolo and Dolcetto account for a significant portion of the area's red wine production as well. With white wines, Moscato is the most prominent with its sparkling and
frizzante style wines. Other notable white wines include styles made from the
Cortese grape in
Gavi as well as blends of Cortese with
Arneis and
Favorita from
Colli Tortonesi and
Alto Monferrato. Since the 1980s there has been growing numbers of experimental plantings with the international varieties of
Cabernet Sauvignon,
Chardonnay,
Merlot,
Pinot noir,
Sauvignon blanc and
Syrah. The Piedmont produces more DOCG wines by volume than any other Italian wine region with nearly 84% of all the areas wine production falling under a DOCG designation. The area has no
indicazione geografica tipica (IGT) classification, in contrast to
Tuscany where IGT wines or
Super Tuscans make up a significant portion of that region's wine production.
Barolo In 1980, the wines of the Barolo region became one of the first Italian wines to receive DOCG status. Produced to the southwest of the town of Alba in the hills of the Langhe, Barolo is a big,
tannic expression of the Nebbiolo grape. The soil of this area is a composition of
clay and
marl which helps to lessen the naturally high acidity of Nebbiolo. The
Tanaro river flows through the heart of Barolo country and serves as a tempering influence on the region's summertime heat till harvest time in late October/mid November. A small wine region, extending over 7 miles in length and 5 miles at its widest point, Barolo produces about 500,000
cases of wine annually. Nearly 87% of the zone productions comes from vineyards in five communities:
Barolo,
Castiglione Falletto,
La Morra,
Monforte d'Alba, and
Serralunga d'Alba. Wines from the Central Valley of La Morra and Barolo tend to be very perfumed and velvety with less tannins than other Barolos. The soil of the Central Valley itself is more clay based with increased levels of
magnesium oxide and
manganese. The wines from the Serralunga Valley are more full
bodied and
tannic and require aging of 12–15 years before they hit their peak. The soil of the Serralunga is heavy in
sand,
iron,
limestone,
phosphorus and
potassium.
Barbaresco,
Treiso and
Neive. The soils in the Barbaresco zone are more uniform across the region which tends to produce a more consistent profile with the wines than what can be achieved across the widely different areas of Barolo. Like many sparkling wines, Asti are not
vintage dated even though a majority of the grapes might all come from the same vintage year. The wines are typically at their peak between 1 and 2 years from their release.
Other wines The Barbera grape is the most widely planted variety in all of the Piedmont and makes a juicy, muscular red wine that is not as tannic as Barolo and Barbaresco. It is grown in nearly every major wine making region of the Piedmont but seems to do best in the southern part of the province of Asti in the
Nizza DOCG zone. Some producers are experimenting with blending Barbera with Nebbiolo to combine the former's fruitiness with the later's structure. The light fruitiness of wines from the Dolcetto grape has caused some wine writers to describe it as the Italian version of
Beaujolais. The wines have a sense of spiciness to them with little acid and tannins. They are able to be drunk relatively young and tend to be the every day drinking wines of the Piedmontese. Up until the 1980s, when the wines of the
Friuli-Venezia Giulia began to receive notice, the white wines of the Gavi region were touted as the best expression of dry Italian wine. Made primarily from the Cortese grape, these wines are noted for their dry, crisp acidity with
citrus and
mineral notes. The white wines made from the
Arneis grape tend to be dry, vibrant and full body with notes of
pears and
apricots. Produced in the hills of the Roero to the northwest of Alba, the name Arneis means "rascal" in Piedmontese. ==See also==