ITALY is currently producing more wine than you could shake a stick at, roughly 45 million hectolitres per annum. This is a massive amount, and accounts for almost a third of global production. As a result, Italy remains one of the most important wine producing countries and a perennial favourite on our dinner tables.
The diversity of styles from the north to south is staggering with many of the local producers working solely with indigenous varieties. This can make finding the right bottle confusing, but the ultimate rewards make the search worthwhile. As a young wine merchant (many years ago), I found Italy the hardest country to understand and I would turn instead to France, South Africa or Australia. Nowadays, my wine rack is full of Barbera, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese and Falanghina.
I can’t do the whole country justice in one column, so this week I’ll be focusing on Piemonte in the North West. Piemonte is home to household names like Barolo and Barbaresco (both made from the Nebbiolo grape) as well as Barberas and Dolcettos from Alba and Asti. In the whites, you’ll find excellent wines from the Cortese and Arneis grapes as well as some light, refreshing Moscatos.
Twenty years ago, most Barolo producers made dense, dark tannic wines that demanded many years ageing before drawing the cork. Nowadays, the tendency is to make a more approachable offering, still with muscular tannins and decent acidity but without the dense concentration of the past. These wines can still be kept in the cellar, but if you decant your reds (and you should) you could happily enjoy a bottle with a hearty steak pie tonight.
The locals consider Barbaresco to be a lunchtime wine, which means you can save the Barolo for dinner. Bearing that philosophy in mind, here’s one to enjoy with lunch.
Barbaresco de Forville 2014 (Majestic, £17.99). This has all the classic notes of dark cherry fruit, gamey meat and earthy mushrooms with an attractive floral element to lighten the glass. Many Barbarescos are twice this price, making this a good value weekend treat.
And for dinner, why not try a bottle of the Villa Peironte Barolo 2012 (M&S, £19). Despite the maturity, this bottle will still benefit from an hour in the decanter before serving. I can’t imagine a better match than a rare fillet steak served with a stilton hollandaise sauce. Cheers!
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