Wine tasting in Alba

Given our readings on Barolos and Barbarescos this week, I wanted to share about my travels to Alba for wine tasting.  It's about an hour outside of Milan so very easy to add into an Italian vacation if anyone is heading that way!

Some of the winemakers in Alba shared about the different barrel styles you'll find in the region (see below) as discussed in the reading for class Tuesday. The barriques are the larger ones characteristic of old-style winemaking practices in Alba.  The smaller ones represent a move towards newer, more established European practices (similar to the barrels you'd find in Bordeaux).  This image is from Paolo Manzone winery, which was my favorite visit. There the winemaker used a blend of old and new barrels.

I spent a lot of time talking with the vintners about the rise of the DOCG labeling and the specific requirements related to aging Barolos.  They were all very excited about the growth of the region driven by these changes.

Another fun fact is that land in Alba not planted with grapes is most likely to be planted with hazelnuts because Ferrero Rocher is based in Alba.  Most of the wineries provided local hazelnuts alongside the wonderful Barolos and Barabarescos which was a really fun combination.

Here are wines from each of the wineries I visited in Alba in case you're interested!