Barolo wine
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Barolo is a powerful dry red wine from the Piedmont region of Northern Italy. It has a long and illustrious tradition, taking its name from the small town of Barolo (founded, probably, by the Celtic tribes that inhabited the Italian peninsula from Rimini Northwards, before the Roman expansion). Local statutes, dating back as far as the 1600s, show the importance of the wine-growing culture in this region – with harsh penalties imposed for anyone damaging vines etc.
Like that other famous Piedmontese wine Barbaresco, the Barolo is obtained from the nebbiola grape, a grape that, despite various attempts to export it to other wine-growing regions, tends to prosper in a very limited geographical area almost exclusively in Piedmont (though also in some parts of Lombardy). Part of this is due to the fact that the nebbiola needs extra hanging time on the vine, in comparison to other grapes, and the mild foggy autumns in this region favour a late harvest of the grape. The name of the grape comes from the Italian word for Fog – nebbia, though its attribution has two competing theories: the first is due to the cloudy foglike appearance of the grape, while the second is due to the autumn fog in which its harvested.
Barolo wine is one of Italy’s most prestigious wines, as demonstrated by its denomination as DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllada e Garantita) – only 36 wines in Italy have this stamp of quality.
The key characteristic of the wine is a high concentration of tannin and acidity. Traditionally* the wine fermented sitting on the grape skins for up to three weeks, before being aged in large wooden casks for years, giving its strong and ‘difficult’ flavour. By law the wine must be aged for three years before sale, and in most cases it’s recommended to leave the wine bottled for many more before opening – something that hardly endears it to the general wine-drinking public.
In an effort to adapt the wine to international tastes, many modern producers have cut down the fermentation time, and adopted – to much controversy – smaller French-style oak casks for aging. Some have also introduced other grapes, to soften and ‘fruitify’ the taste.Tension between traditional and modern production methods have melodramatically been labelled the Barolo wars.
Almost always light in colour, a good Barolo smells of tar and roses, and often takes on a complex orange taste when aged.
It’s a great wine to drink with red meat and game, and hard cheeses. It should be served decanted and slightly cooler than room temperature. It’s suited, like Burgundy, to wide-mouthed glasses.
*according to Lettie Teague the ‘traditional’ Barolo so staunchly defended was actually an innovation in troduced in the mid-nineteenth century by Frenchman Louis Oudart, at the invitation of the Marchessa di Barolo.
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Tags: Barbaresco, docg wines, game dishes, nebbiola, red wines
