Your 5 Minute Guide to Nebbiolo

It’s revered by cork dorks the world over, Nebbiolo (pronounced Nebby-oh-low) is a red grape variety grown mostly in Piedmont, in the north west of Italy. You may have heard of Barolo and Barbaresco, and it's these two particular growing areas that form the heart of the region and produce the greatest Nebbiolo. For us, it’s definitely a desert island wine, but before we explain why, let’s look at the facts -

A native of Piedmont, the name Nebbiolo comes from the Italian nebbia, meaning fog, referencing the intense fog that sets into the Langhe region where Nebbiolo is most notably grown.

Growing Nebbiolo

Like Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo is a fussy bugger. It’s early to form buds in Spring, making it prone to frost damage, and its fruit is late to ripen in Autumn. Grapes are slow to accumulate sugar, so site selection is important. In Piedmont, slopes that have some south facing aspect, allowing for more sun exposure are favourable.

Growers have to work hard to limit its vigorous vegetative growth through the season, so that vines concentrate their energy on ripening fruit. 

It’s particular about what soil types it's grown in, being best suited to infertile calcareous marl and sandy soils. 

Unlike Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo hasn’t travelled well because of its particular nature. While there are small quantities grown in Australia and USA, most of it is still grown in the north of Italy in Piedmont and Lombardy.

Wines from Barolo and Barbaresco are considered the greatest expressions of Nebbiolo. Growers there focus on expressing particular single sites, known as ‘cru’, small vineyards set on the varied hillsides. As a generalisation, Barolo has more firmness and savoury complexity, while Barbaresco is a touch more fruitful. This is dependent on the producer however, and both regions make some of the most age worthy wines in Italy. 

The wider region around Barolo and Barbaresco is known as Langhe (“long-gay”), and here Nebbiolo presents itself in a lighter, friendlier form. You’ll find it labelled as Langhe Nebbiolo. Also look out for Roero Nebbiolo, Coste della Sessia, Lessona and Bramaterra, all further north, for seriously smart yet more approachable styles.

Drinking Nebbiolo

It’s so alluring. We love that it’s all about light and dark. It’s fragrant and ethereal, yet powerful and brooding. Its aromatics tend towards red berries and florals, but with mushroom, truffle and hot earth undertones. It’s not described as ‘tar and roses’ for nothing. And don’t be misled by its light colour. It's built with firm, grainy tannin and naturally high acidity. It’s like Burgundy on steroids. 

Like the best people in life, Nebbiolo takes some getting to know. It’s not upfront and obvious. We always decant it, and in lieu of this we open the bottle early. One of the greatest joys of drinking it is how it opens up and evolves in the glass over time. While you give it that time, get in the kitchen - think slow cooked beef, mushrooms, truffle, tomato based pasta dishes, and hard cheeses.