Discover It.
Piedmont Italy is synonymous with food and wine. White truffles, hazelnuts, dried fruits and let’s not forget, grapes! Situated at the foot of the Alps in Northwest Italy, Piedmont borders Liguria, Switzerland, and France. Picture looking out a window with a lovely glass of wine, follow a cool stream trickling into the massive Alps and you get the idea. The welcoming hills throughout Piedmont are filled with vineyards. I like to talk about wine as I see it through the eyes of the farmers and in Piedmont, you can’t help but feel it, too. When people talk about Piedmont, the first word that is usually spoken is Barolo. Renato Ratti introduced the idea of Cru Barolos. He mapped out the land to reflect the best dirt for producing the best Barolos. Ratti is one of the great noble viticultural families of Piedmont and states it best, “A wine can be the voice of its land granted that one is willing to modulate one’s own tone to pay due homage and respect to the places of origin.” To be called a Barolo, the wine has to come from specific areas of Piedmont. Kind of like to be called Champagne, the grape has to be from Champagne. Now what’s really important to know is that the grape that makes Barolo great is the Nebbiolo grape. And guess what grape all those vineyards on all those hills of Piedmont are planted with? Nebbiolo!!
Taste It.
100% Nebbiolo, The 2018 Ratti Nebbiolo is medium bodied with amazing aromatics of rose petals, violets, and mushrooms. Taste is pleasant, smooth and silky with hints of raspberries and freshly picked strawberries, light and yet full at the same time.
Pair It.
Well this wine could go with just about anything but, I recommend pairing it classically. Piedmont is known for the pasta dish, Agnolotti which is a fresh ravioli stuffed with leftover meats and usually served in a light broth. Fun to make and better to eat! Gustare!!
https://www.lacucinaitaliana.com/italian-food/italian-dishes/agnolotti-del-plin-curiosity-recipe