On my very first visit to a winery abroad – when my wonderful partner surprised me with a birthday trip to Piedmont – we found ourselves on a tour of Vietti, a historic winery that’s been around for 148 years.
Just as the tour began, I asked our guide – the daughter of the owner (though, that same year, the winery had been sold to American owners, of course) – what was probably a silly but honest first question:
“How come all we saw on the way here were grapevines and hazelnuts?”
She gave me a half-smile – equal parts amused and indulgent – pointed toward the vineyards, and said loudly, pausing after each word: “Barolo. Barbaresco. Ferrero Rocher. Nutella.”
For me – even after several more years and visits to Italy – that moment summed up everything I love about Italian culture.
Piedmont is the region of all things local. It’s the birthplace of the Slow Food movement, home to truffles, Barolo, vermouth, espresso (shared credit here), and FIAT. No wonder it’s known for having one of the strongest local pride identities not just in Italy, but probably in the world.
Nestled at the foot of the Alps (which is what its name literally means – “at the foot of the mountain”), Piedmont borders both Switzerland and France. Getting there is a visual journey: snowcapped mountains give way to endless stretches of vineyards and – yes – hazelnut groves.
In Piedmont, food and wine are inseparable. The region’s signature dishes are perfectly suited to its bold, powerful wines, which, despite their strength, somehow maintain an almost paradoxical elegance. The summers are scorching hot, the winters are foggy and cold, and this unusual climate balance produces wines with deep, concentrated fruit and beautifully fresh acidity.
While the most widely planted grape in the region is Barbera – once considered a lesser grape, but now enjoying a well-deserved renaissance – the true noble grape of Piedmont is Nebbiolo, the legendary variety behind the region’s iconic wines.
Barbera wines are usually fresh, fruit-forward, and easy to drink young, full of vibrant acidity and floral notes. Dolcetto, the third most important variety, tends to be simpler – dry, fruity, slightly bitter – but when made well, it’s absolutely charming, offering juicy dark berries, a hint of pleasant bitterness, and a pitch-perfect match for local cuisine.
But ultimately, it’s one grape – grown in just two tiny villages – that turned Piedmont into Italy’s most famous wine region.
Nebbiolo: a pale, almost translucent grape that hides tremendous power beneath its delicate appearance. It reaches its peak in the Langhe hills, northeast of the town of Alba in Barbaresco, and southwest of it in Barolo. Because Nebbiolo ripens incredibly late, the best wines come from south-facing slopes at altitudes of 150–350 meters, with enough sun and warmth to bring the grape to full maturity.
Until the 1980s, the combination of Piedmont’s cold winters, traditional winemaking methods (no temperature control), and long skin maceration times resulted in wines that were incredibly hard to drink when young. These methods extracted high levels of tannins, muted the fruit aromas, and left wines that – even after years aging at the winery – still weren’t quite ready to drink.
They used to say that a father would buy a bottle of Barolo so that his son could eventually drink it. Not exactly aligned with the consumer revolution of the time, or with the growing desire for wine that offered immediate enjoyment.
That all began to change when a rebellious group of winemakers – now known as the Barolo Boys – decided to break with tradition. And keep in mind: this was conservative, old-school Italy.
These “renegades” started adopting winemaking techniques inspired by French regions (yes, really). Things like aging in smaller oak barrels, fermenting with temperature control, harvesting a bit earlier, and shortening the skin contact time. The result? Wines that emphasized fruit, were easier to drink young, and became instantly more appealing to a new generation of wine lovers.
Today, Barolo and Barbaresco are among the most sought-after wines in Italy – and the world. Their complexity, power, balance, and aging potential make them a thrill to open, whether you’ve been collecting for decades or just getting started.
