The Secret Nobility of Arneis

It’s funny. I’ve spent the last few years trudging through the doldrums of the WSET Diploma curriculum, using Jancis Robinson’s Oxford Companion to Wine as the Holy Grail of wine itself and then I come across this quote by David Gleave, MW in his write-up of the Arneis grape, “The best examples tend to be … Continue reading The Secret Nobility of Arneis

Summer Standouts of the Langhe & Roero

Last Friday some good friends from Napa stopped by and I opened my one bottle of Marengo Pugnane Barbera d'Alba. First sip and suddenly I remember, "Wow, I am totally in love with this wine!" And then, "Oh yeah! I still have not written up my standouts from my last trip to Piemonte ..." Ooops. … Continue reading Summer Standouts of the Langhe & Roero

The Wild Roero

Did you know that there is another fantastic Nebbiolo-producing zone just a few kilometers northwest of both Barolo and Barbaresco? The only thing really dividing them is the Tanaro River, which today looks fairly serene and non-threatening. But that wasn't always the case. Geology shows that 250,000 years ago, a major earthquake shifted the course of the … Continue reading The Wild Roero

Roero DOCG: Arneis

If you read wine books about Roero, they will sum it up (if they even mention it at all) as the neighbor to Barolo and Barbaresco, and the region that is best at producing Arneis, a slightly fragrant, fruity, and light white wine. While I agree that Roero does produce high quality Piemontese white wines, … Continue reading Roero DOCG: Arneis

Roero DOCG: Nebbiolo

A couple of years ago when I was visiting the winery of Matteo Correggia, one of the most prominent producers of the Roero region, and Sara Palma, who oversees the winery's marketing and external relations, was explaining to me the terrain of the Roero, I asked if there was a map of the cru vineyards … Continue reading Roero DOCG: Nebbiolo