Italy has over 800 indigenous grapes. Escape a Pinot Grigio rut with one of these lesser-known varieties Vermentino You might know Vermentino, but it’s worth keeping an eye out for it under its pseudonyms, Favorita and Pigato. The aromatic white grape’s origins are much debated. Some believe its name derives from vermene, a Piedmontese word […]

Just returned from Piedmont, Assistant Buyer Chloe Dale-Harris espouses the virtues of the region’s lesser known varieties, considering the charm of Barbera, Dolcetto and Arneis Barolo and Barbaresco are arguably the wines that put Piedmont on the map. Made from the elegant and powerful Nebbiolo grape, they have helped to develop Italy’s reputation for fine […]

Forget mince pies and mulled wine. In the Piedmontese town of Carrù, ’tis the season for berry-bright Dolcetto and tripe, finds David Berry Green What’s the link between an overweight ox, il bue grasso, celebrated annually by the Piedmontese town of Carrù, and the slender (dare I say lightweight?) Dolcetto wine made by our newest […]

At the end of the month Signor Claudio Rosso bows out after three years as the (Honorary) President of the Langhe and Roero Consorzio, representing most – but not all – of the hundreds of (Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, Arneis, Moscato) producers in the region. Last week I caught up with him at his family’s Cantina Gigi […]