Piemonte

Piemonte

Spread out at the foot of the Alps in Italy's north-west, Piemonte is the home of Barolo, the king of Italian wine, and of Barbaresco, its queen. The lead role belongs to late-ripening Nebbiolo. Ripening slowly through autumn beneath the fog - the nebbia - that settles over the hills of the Langhe, the grapes are transformed into wines of beguiling scent, all rose petal and tar, carried on tannins that are powerful and yet wholly noble.

The vine-covered hills of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato unfold like a painting, a landscape beautiful enough to have earned UNESCO World Heritage status. Character shifts from village to village and from vineyard to vineyard much as it does in Burgundy, and there is endless pleasure to be had in talking crus. Everyday Barbera and Dolcetto, meanwhile, are the indispensable supporting players at any Piedmontese table.

Cépages selects Piemonte wines made with real care by family-run estates. They are superb with sukiyaki, with miso-based dishes, and with anything built around mushrooms.