Tag: piedmont

Summer in Piedmont

In July I spent an illuminating week in Piedmont, with Berrys’ Italian buyer David Berry Green and a team of colleagues. The purpose of the visit was to increase our understanding of the Nebbiolo grape, arguably the king of Italian varietals (although we spent a good amount of time increasing our understanding of local Piemontese […]

Olek Bondonio: no ordinary Piemontese, no ordinary Barbaresco producer…

Joining Berrys’ impressive line-up of Barbaresco producers (Rivella, Cascina delle Rose, Luisin, Roagna, and Marinacci) at this year’s ‘Grand Tour’ Italian tasting at Lindley Hall, London on September 6th will be one Olek Bondonio, whose first vintage was in 2005. He is just one of the increasing number of exciting Barbaresco producers now emerging from […]

News from the Big Chill…

No, not from Wembley – ‘new manager please! (same result)’ – but more importantly here’s an update on new arrivals and what you can look forward to in 2012 from snowy Italia… Fresh off the bench this spring (!) come a pair of sunny, but measured Sardinians as made by Adele and Maurizio at the […]

Alto Piemonte: The tasting. Another case of ‘modernists’ and ‘traditionalists’?

For this second blog on the region of the Alto Piemonte (Lessona, Bramaterra, Gattinara, Boca) I assessed 25 wines covering mostly vintages 2009 – 2004 from 12 producers: Cantine del Castello Conti (Boca), Antonio Vallana (Boca), Antoniolo (Gattinara), Antoniotti (Bramaterra), Sperino (Lessona),  Le Piane (Boca), Patriarca Franco (Gattinara), Travaglini (Gattinara), Tenuta Sella (Lessona), Nervi (Gattinara), […]