Cards of Wine

Nebbiolo (Italy)

Nebbiolo is a red wine grape from the foggy hills of Langhe in Piemonte.

Nebbiolo, Barolo and Barbaresco wines are made with 100% Nebbiolo grapes.

Typical Flavors

Nebbiolo tastes something between Pinot Noir and Syrah.

The flavors of the wine are an important part of the consumer enjoyment.


Cherry
Sour
Cherry
Cherry
Wild
Cherry
Cranberry
Cranberry
Herbs
Herbs

Violets
Violet
Rose
Red Rose
Licorice
Licorice
Spice
Spices

Oak added Flavors

Oak
Tar
Mushroom
Mushroom
Truffle
Truffle
Chocolate
Chocolate

Coffee
Coffee
Spices
Spices
Tobacco
Tobacco
Leather
Leather

Sour Red Cherry, Wild Cherries, and Cranberries are typical Nebbiolo flavors.

Hints of Herbs, Flowers, Licorice or Anise, and Spices.

Profile

Nebbiolo wines are full-bodied with strong acidity and high tannins:

BODYFull
TANNINSHigh
FRUITMedium Plus
ACIDITYMedium - High
Serving temperatures:
16-17°C (61-63°F)
17-18°C (63-64°F) Riserva / Barolo

Food Pairing


Truffle
Truffle
Pasta
Pasta
Risotto
Risotto
Pizza
Rich Pizza

Charcuterie
Charcuterie
Salami
Salami
Duck
Duck
Goose
Goose

Pork
Pork
Lamb
Lamb
Veal
Veal
Ox
Meat

Rabbit
Rabbit
Wild Boar
Wild Boar
Deer
Deer
Hamburger
Hamburger

Nebbiolo is a powerful red wine. It pairs best with strong flavor dishes.

A classic pairing is white truffles, as Nebbiolo mirrors the earthy, gamey quality of the truffles.

Pairing Suggestions

Excellent Pairing:
Truffle and Mushroom Dishes.
Risotto with Truffle. Mushroom Pizza.
Pasta with strong Tomato or Truffle Sauce.
Rich Charcuterie. Salami.
Rich Stews. Beef Stew. Ragù. Stroganof.
Meat Pie. Shepherd's Pie.
Duck Brest. Confit. Roast Goose.
Game. Rabbit. Wild Boar. Deer.
Roasted Beef. Lamb. Veal. Liver.
Read Meat. Fillet Steak.

Cheese:
Old Cheese. Mature Cheese. Hard Cheese.
Parmigiano Reggiano. Pecorino Vecchio.
Aged Cheddar.

Piemonte Spesialities:
Risotto al Tartufo Bianco (White Truffles).
Carne Cruda (Beef Tartare).
Manzo Stufato alla Piemontese (Beef Stew).
Osso Buco (Veal Shanks braised with Vegetables).
Stufato di Coniglio (Rabbit Stew).

If You Like Nebbiolo

You Might Also Like:

Barolo (Italy)
Cabernet Sauvignon (France)
Languedoc (France)
Lebanese Red (Lebanon)
Malbec (Argentina)
Nero d'Avola (Italy)
Petite Sirah (USA)
Pinotage (South Africa)
Rioja Reserva (Spain)
Shiraz (Australia)
Super Tuscan (Italy)
Syrah (France)
Touriga Nacional (Portugal)

The Ideal Glass

The Bordeaux glass is perfect for a bodied red wine.

It is taller than other red wine glasses, and has a slimmer bowl.

The large size of the glass allows the bouquet to develop. It smooths out rough edges, plays down tannins, and allows the wines to achieve balance.

The slimmer bowl sends the wine directly to the back of the mouth for maximum taste.

Nebbiolo DOCG Denominazioni

DOCG is Italy's highest wine classification

(Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita)

Barolo DOCG 1980Riserva
100% Nebbiolo

38+ Months Aged
18+ Months in Oak
20+ Months in Bottle

Minimum 13.0% Alcohol
100% Nebbiolo

62+ Months Aged
18+ Months in Oak
44+ Monts in Bottle

Minimum 13.0% Alcohol
Barbaresco DOCG 1980Barbaresco Riserva
100% Nebbiolo

26+ Months Aged
  9+ Months in Oak
17+ Months in Bottle

Minimum 12.5% Alcohol
100% Nebbiolo

50+ Months Aged
  9+ Months in Oak
41+ Months in Bottle

Minimum 12.5% Alcohol
Gattinara DOCG 1990Riserva
Min  90% Spanna *
Max 10% Uva Rara **
Max   4% Vespolina

35+ Months Aged
24+ Months in Oak
11+ Months in Bottle

Minimum 12.5% Alcohol
Min  90% Spanna *
Max 10% Uva Rara **
Max  4% Vespolina

47+ Months Aged
36+ Months in Oak
11+ Months in Bottle

Minimum 13.0% Alcohol
Ghemme DOCG 1997Riserva
Min  85% Spanna *
Max 15% Uva Rara **
Max 15% Vespolina

36+ Months Aged
18+ Months in Oak
  6+ Months in Bottle

Minimum 12.0% Alcohol
Min  85% Spanna *
Max 15% Uva Rara **
Max 15% Vespolina

48+ Months Aged
24+ Months in Oak
12+ Months in Bottle

Minimum 12.5% Alcohol
Terre Alfieri DOCG 2020Riserva
Min  100% Nebbiolo

12+ Months Aged
  6+ Months in Oak
  6+ Months in Bottle

Minimum 13.0% Alcohol
Min  100% Nebbiolo

24+ Months Aged
12+ Months in Oak
12+ Months in Bottle

Minimum 13.5% Alcohol

* Spanna is a local name for Nebbiolo

** Uva Rara is locally known as Bonarda di Gattinara

World Famous Grapes

Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo is the grape behind the famous Barolo and Barbaresco wines.


About Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo is an extreme grape that combines high acidity with lots of tannins. The wines need storage and a high level of alcohol to be consumable. However, Nebbiolo wines will never be completely soft.

Nebbiolo wines will usually need years of storage before the high tannin is reduced to a comfortable level. It develops storage flavors of truffles, leather, chocolate and tobacco.

These are wines that can be difficult to understand, and Nebbiolo wines should definitely be consumed with food. The acid and tannin form a structure that somehow melts into the food, and harmonize and balance the aromas of the wine.

The taste of Nebbiolo can remind you of a mixture of Pinot Noir and Syrah.


Nebbia = Fog

It is believed that "Nebbiolo" is derived from the Italian word "Nebbia" ("fog"). During harvest in October, an intense fog sets into the Langhe region where the vineyards are located. Or maybe it refers to the fog-like "dust" that forms over the berries as they reach maturity.


Piemonte (Piedmont)

Piemonte has been an important wine province since Roman times. The area is influenced both culturally and climatically by the Alps in the north, and the Ligurian coast in the south.

Piemonte

Nebbiolo (the power of the Barolo and Barbaresco) is the most famous grape of Piemonte, followed by the red grapes Barbera and Dolcetto.

For whites, Cortese and Arneis are the most popular grapes.

For dessert, the off-dry, sparkling Moscato d'Asti is the queen.

The most important wine regions are:

  • Asti (Barbera d'Asti)
  • Langhe (Nebbiolo, Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera di Alba, Dolcetto, Roero)
  • Monferrato (Barbera del Monferrat, Nizza, Cortese di Gavi)
  • North (Gattinara, Ghemme)

Piemonte's DOCG regions:

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