Showing posts with label langhe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label langhe. Show all posts
Although Barolo is probably the most renowned quality wine of Piedmont - so that, to some, great Barolos are even better than so-called Supertuscans - it is not the only DOCG wine they produce from Nebbiolo grapes (the variety whose name comes from Italian word for “fog”) in Piedmont.
Barbaresco, from a few municipalities in the Langhe area, and Carema, produced in the province of Turin, are just two other great examples of what this grape variety can do.
They both can be made of 100% Nebbiolo grapes, and while no other variety is allowed in the production of Barbaresco, up to a 15% of different locally grown red varieties are allowed in making Carema.

Barbaresco




Barolo has more relatives than one might know, one of which is literally pretty close: Barbaresco.
From the small town of Barolo to the one of Barbaresco, indeed, it’s about 13 miles (20 kilometers) as the crow flies. Not only the place Barbaresco is given birth in is quite the same as Barolo, but its genetic makeup is the same: 100% Nebbiolo grapes. The ages of these two DOCG appellations are also the same, as they were both declared in 1966.

Yet, to produce Barbaresco, grapes must grow in a specific area, which includes the municipalities of Barbaresco, Neive and Treiso (both close to the one of Barbaresco) only.
Grapes grown in the hamlet of San Rocco (“frazione”, according to Italian administrative division of territory) are also allowed in the production of Barbaresco, even if San Rocco is part of the municipality of Alba: that’s because it once belonged to the municipality of Barbaresco and many vineyards from whose grapes Barbaresco is traditionally produced are planted there.

As it happens with every top quality wine, Barbaresco’s production guidelines require that only best terrains can be destined to the growth of Nebbiolo grapes from which this wine will be produced, so vineyards are planted on sunny slopes only.

A slight difference between Barbaresco and Barolo occurs in mandatory aging period, which, for Barbaresco, lasts 26 months, 9 of which must be spent in casks.

 Suggested Barbaresco producers:


Carema

 
90 miles (140 km) or so to the north of Barbaresco lies the small municipality of Carema (the region is still Piedmont, but the province has changed: it’s Turin), where they still make wine from Nebbiolo grapes.
Carema wine is considered not so refined as Barbaresco, indeed its appellation is “only” DOC, but it still is a quality wine made of at least 75% of Nebbiolo grapes, even if the climate and the soil, here, don’t provide it with the same complexity as they do in Langhe.

According to its production guidelines, it can only be made in the municipality with the same name, that is an area of about 6.5 squared miles (10 km).
Grapes are grown on pergolas propped by stone pillars up (called “pilun” in local dialect), this giving the landscape a typical look. Again, only rocky, sunny slopes are allowed for growing Nebbiolo grapes from which Carema wine will be produced.
According to the period of aging, two kinds of Carema are distinguished: a plain one, which has to age for at least two years, one of which in oak or chestnut barrels, and “Riserva”, which must age one year more (while mandatory period in barrels still consists of one year).

Carema wine can boast a long history, as it was mentioned in two “wine guides” written in the XVI century, both stating it was a noble wine for patricians and popes.

It was declared a DOC in 1967.

 Suggested Carema producers:

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Tagliatelle with Sizzled Sage

Tagliatelle with Sizzled Sage

INGREDIENTS Serves 4

  • 8oz fresh tagliatelle pasta
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup sage leaves
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the sage leaves and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until crisp, about 3 minutes. Season the sage with salt and pepper. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sage to a plate; reserve the butter.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta, stirring, until al dente, about 1 minute. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot, toss with the reserved butter and pasta cooking water and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl and scatter the sage leaves and the 1/4 cup of cheese on top. Serve at once, passing additional cheese at the table.

Braised Chops with Cipollini and Olives

Braised Chops with Cipollini and Olives

INGREDIENTS Serves 4

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Four 3/4-pound pork shoulder blade chops, each 1 1/4 inches thick
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 ounces Black Forest Bacon—sliced 1/2 inch thick, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 5 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 rosemary sprigs
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon dry red wine
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 pound unpeeled baby cipollini onions
  • 2/3 cup assorted olives, including Niçoise olives, rinsed
  • 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
Preheat the oven to 325°. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season the pork with salt and pepper and add 2 chops to the skillet. Cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned, 6 minutes total. Transfer to a roasting pan and repeat with 1 more tablespoon of oil and the remaining 2 chops.
Add the bacon and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet; cook over moderate heat until the bacon is lightly browned. Add the onion and garlic, cover and cook over low heat, stirring, until softened. Add the rosemary and cloves and cook for 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of the wine and boil over high heat for 1 minute. Add the stock and bring to a boil.
Pour the bacon mixture over the pork chops. Cover the roasting pan with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Turn the chops, cover and cook for 30 minutes longer.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the onions until barely tender, 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool, then trim and peel the onions.
Add the onions and olives to the roasting pan, nestling them in the liquid. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
Transfer the pork, onions and olives to a platter, cover with foil and keep warm. Discard the cloves. Set the pan over high heat and boil the liquid until reduced to 3/4 cup, 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of red wine to the sauce and pour it over the chops. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

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Barolo is a small town in the area of Langhe, in the province of Cuneo, in the region Piedmont, to the northwest of Italy.
This small town gives its name to a local product that is much more famous around the world: Barolo wine, which is said to be “the king of wines, the wine of kings”, because it is one of the greatest Italian vintage wines and because it is made in a region, Piedmont, where the House of Savoy that once ruled Italy had its residence.

What is Barolo wine made of?


There is no Barolo grape variety: Barolo wine is entirely made of Nebbiolo, a local grape variety whose name resembles the Italian word for “fog” - which is “nebbia” - because it is usually harvested in Fall, when the fog already covers the low hills on which vineyards are planted.
Not all Nebbiolo, however, turns into Barolo.

 Where is Barolo produced?


Barolo is produced in a limited area around the municipality of Barolo, that goes  - more or less - from Verduno, to the north, to Monforte d’Alba, to the south, and from the hills to the west of La Morra, to Serralunga d’Alba, to the east. On the whole, it’s an area about 20 acres (80 sq km) wide.

The winemaker is not the only one who makes the wine: much is decided by nature, in the vineyard.
Nebbiolo grapes which later will be used to make Barolo can only grow on loamy soils, rich in clay and sandstone, to provide both quality to the wine and drainage to the plants’ roots.
The place where vines can be planted is indicated by Barolo wine production guidelines: only slopes are allowed, and it is forbidden to use bunches coming from vineyards grown on flat terrains.

One of the most renowned area, for instance, lies by the hamlet of Cannubi, to the north of the small town of Barolo, but the hills around the small town of Serralunga d’Alba are also famous for their excellent vineyards.

 When is it time of Barolo?


According to its production guidelines, Barolo must age for 38 months (starting from November 1st of the year it has been harvested), of which 18 must be spent in wooden casks, before being bottled.
In case it’s a Barolo Riserva, months of aging increase up to 62, while mandatory period in casks doesn’t change.
Therefore, Italian wine laws ratify that a “Barolo” can be marketed only from January 1st of the fourth year after the grapes it is made of had been harvested, while a “Barolo riserva” can be marketed only from January 1st of the sixth year after the grapes it is made of had been harvested.

 Who went for the pharmacist?


There actually is a third kind of Barolo wine, duly included in the wine’s production guidelines: Barolo chinato, that is Barolo to which quinine liqueur (“china”, pronounced [‘kina], into Italian) and some other herbal extracts have been added.
A Piedmontese pharmacist as a sort of cure-all cordial invented this beverage in the XIX century, because it helps digestion and gives relief from cold, but it was so enjoyable that it soon became an appreciated fortified wine.

 Why having Barolo?


Barolo can be a complex wine: elegant, but still full bodied and structured, it’s a wine that must be chosen wisely.
It pairs perfectly with Piedmontese foods, like game and dishes flavored with exquisite white truffle from Alba, or - obviously - with brasato (braised meat) al Barolo.
Besides, it is so complex and full it can even be drunk alone.

 Recommended Barolo Producers


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