Piemonte: Beyond the Fame with Libiamo
Exploring the lesser known wines of Piemonte with wine expert, Mike Turner, I tried some delicious examples from specialist Italian retailer, Libiamo.
Meaning foot of the mountain, Piemonte sits at the foot of The Alps and is best known for its Barolo and Barbaresco wines. This tasting proved that there is much more to discover than just these famous Nebbiolo-based gems.
I tried a couple of red varieties that I’d never had before and have already enjoyed again since - these tastings are absolutely brilliant for discovering new Italian wines! Libiamo run monthly tastings, the next one is on 27th October and will be looking at ‘Unknown Italy’ find out more here.
The wines
Gavi by Folli & Benato
Cortese
Gavi, made from the Cortese grape is not unknown but there are differing styles and qualities out there. Cortese is a high-yielding grape so it produces a lot of wine, meaning you get quantity over quality - not the case with this delicious expression. Citrus and melon on the nose with a salinity and a little kick of white pepper in the mouth. Italians Folli & Benato met whilst living in England, working in the hospitality trade. They source grapes to make wines that reflect the terroir and that they would want to enjoy or sell in a restaurant and this would be perfect with seafood or white meat.
£90.39 for a case of 6
Ruché La Tradizione by Montalbera
Ruché
This was hands down the wine of the tasting for me. I’ve bought it since to take to a dinner party, where it was an absolute hit too! It is the first registered vegan wine made using the indigenous Ruché (sounds like ‘rookay’) grape. Lots of raspberries with cloves and spices and a slightly floral character too. It’s a wine that you can very easily drink on its own or perfect with a some antipasti too. The type of red you could drink in the summer, served lightly chilled with no danger of masking its deliciousness!
£18.92 per bottle
Braghe da Uva Friesa by Claudio Mariotto
Freisa
The native Freisa (sounds like ‘Frazer’) grape comes in quite a few styles from light to full bodied, dry to sweet, as well as sparkling wines. This was full-bodied version with parma violets on the nose and a herbal smokiness, on the palate it reminded me of Black Forest Gateau. We had some great suggested food pairings from gatherers at the tasting…
Mike: Brasato (a traditional Piemonte dish)
Lorenzo: Ravioli
Pete: Wild Boar
Exclusive to this tasting but generally available online for around £15 per bottle
