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Displaying items by tag: Piemonte
The History of Barolo with Tom Hyland
Summary:
This WSG Live will follow the history of Barolo from the 1860s through the latest innovations and viticultural practices of today. As there have been more changes in the last fifty years than in the first one hundred, much of the webinar will concentrate on the period from the 1970s until current times.
Specific topics covered will include changes in viticultural practices (e.g. Barolo Boys), a more precise definition of the boundaries of the Barolo zone, including particular vineyards (MGA), and the recent emphasis on single-vineyard offerings of Barolo.
Presenter: Tom Hyland
Chicago-based Tom Hyland is a freelance writer, educator and photographer specializing in the wines of Italy. He has been traveling to Piedmont since 2000 and has visited dozens of Barolo producers in their cellars and vineyards. He has written about Barolo for two decades, with articles published in Decanter, Wine Spectator and wine-searcher.com. He is the author of three books on wine, including The Wines and Foods of Piemonte, published in 2016.
Barolo Communes
Apart from the Côte d’Or in Burgundy, perhaps no other wine territory has been dissected in greater detail than the Barolo zone. This makes perfect sense, as these are arguably the two most ideal representations of the concept of terroir; just as Pinot Noir from one village in Burgundy reveals different flavors than that of another nearby hamlet, so too offerings of Barolo from various communes often display diverse characteristics, despite the fact that every wine here is made exclusively from Nebbiolo.
There are 11 approved communes in the Barolo production zone. For this article, we will deal primarily with the five largest: La Morra, Serralunga d’Alba, Monforte d’Alba, Castiglione Falletto and Barolo itself. The remaining six are Cherasco, Diano d’Alba (interestingly, planted more to Dolcetto than Nebbiolo), Grinzane Cavour, Roddi, Verduno and Novello; these last two are home to two of the most in-demand vineyards in the entire zone: Monvigliero in Verduno and Ravera in Novello.
Discovering Alto Piemonte
The best-known wines of Piemonte, such as Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero Arneis and Moscato d’Asti are produced from grapes grown in the southern sector of the region; this includes the province of Cuneo and Asti, in districts such as the Langhe and Roero. But farther north, Alto Piemonte is a territory that is home to some of the region’s most complex, yet least understood wines. Gattinara, Boca and Ghemme are a few of these selections, and these days, greater attention is being paid to these wines and this relatively unknown viticultural outpost.
More than Nebbiolo – Delving into Piedmont’s Lesser Known Indigenous Varieties with Robin Kick MW
Summary:
Piedmont is most known for its Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto, the three core varieties that form the backbone of the Langhe, Piedmont’s most famous sub-region.
But a number of other exciting indigenous and qualitative varieties make up the region’s complex viticultural patchwork.
This webinar will focus on 4 lesser-known whites – Arneis, Nascetta, Erbaluce and Timorasso - as well as 4 reds – Freisa, Grignolino, Pelaverga and Ruchè and discuss their individual histories, characteristics, attributes and unique challenges.
Presenter: Robin Kick MW
Originally from the Chicago area, Robin is a Master of Wine who is presently based in Lugano, Switzerland, where she works as an independent wine consultant, wine judge, journalist and educator.
Following studies in French and English literature, she changed career paths in 1998 when she left her teaching position at the Université de Nice to study wine at the BIVB (Bureau Interprofessionel des Vins de Bourgogne) in Beaune, France and the Université du Vin in Suze-la-Rousse in France’s Rhône Valley.
In the 20+ years of working in the wine business, she has held a number of different positions including wine auction specialist for Christie’s in Beverly Hills, California and fine wine buyer for a pre-eminent London-based wine merchant with an award-winning Burgundy list.
In 2014, after many years of study and a successful dissertation on whole cluster fermentation in Pinot Noir from the Côte d’Or, she became a Master of Wine.
Her main wine passions are Burgundy, Champagne, northern Italy, particularly Piedmont, Switzerland and Jerez.
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Not Since Lunch: Untangling Barolo and Brunello with Lars J. Leicht
Summary:
When the humble, yet masterful British wine writer Harry Waugh was asked, when was the last time he had confused Bordeaux and Burgundy, he famously replied, “not since lunch.”
Ask a 21st century American wine scholar that question about Barolo and Brunello, and they may well respond “not since the last blind tasting.”
This Italian conundrum has manifested itself on Court of Master Sommelier exams and was even documented in the first “Somm” movie. Do you know your Barolo from your Brunello?
Italian wine industry veteran Lars Leicht will walk us through the fundamental differences between the two wines, their base grapes, their terroir and their typical profiles to help make it all a little more clear… at least until the next blind tasting!
Presenter: Lars J. Leicht
Lars is VP-Communication & Trade Relations for The Somm Journal as well as Sherpa-in-Chief of Vino Viaggio, an agency specializing in wine exploration, education and adventure. A former news reporter in upstate Oneonta, NY, passion for Italian culture lured him to the wine business. Over a 33-year career with leading US wine importer Banfi Vintners, he held various leadership roles in sales, marketing, and public relations, working and living in the U.S., Europe, Canada, the Caribbean, and Asia. A habitual speaker at sommelier conferences, cooking schools and culinary universities, he appeared in the movie Somm II: Into the Bottle. His Sherpa moniker derives from guiding scores of scribes, wine lovers and professionals through vineyards, wineries and food meccas in Italy, including scholarship trips with SommFoundation and SommSouth. As founder and de facto “Dean” of Cru Artisan College, he has brought Italian winemakers on barnstorming trips across the U.S. for insightful seminars and exceptional tastings.
Learn more about Italian Wines:
Noble Nebbiolo with Alan Tardi
Summary:
"Noble Nebbiolo" a survey of the prestigious Italian variety and its most important manifestations, appellations, and growing areas namely: Valtellina (Lombardia), Valle d'Aosta, and Piemonte (Langhe, Roero, Canavese, Alto Piemonte).
Presenter: Alan Tardi
Alan Tardi first became interested in wine through food, working as a cook, chef, and chef-owner in New York City.
As a freelance food and wine journalist, Tardi has authored numerous articles for publications including The New York Times, Wine & Spirits Magazine, The Wine Spectator, Decanter, and Sommelier Journal.
In 2003, Alan moved to the village of Castiglione Falletto in the Barolo region of Italy, where he spent several years working in the surrounding vineyards and wineries through all phases of the growing and production process.
This lead to his first book, 'Romancing the Vine: Life, Love and Transformation in the Vineyards of Barolo' (St Martins Press, 2006), which won a James Beard Award for Best Wine and Spirits Book of 2006.
In 2015, Tardi became the first-ever US Ambassador of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco.
His new book, “Champagne, Uncorked: The House of Krug and the Timeless Allure of the World’s Most Celebrated Drink” (Hachette 2016) recently won a Gourmand Best in the World Award.
Barbaresco Who's Who with Tom Hyland
Summary:
Barbaresco is one of Italy's iconic reds, yet in Piemonte, while it tends to be treated with great respect, it rarely receives the attention it deserves, due to the fame of Barolo.
In this webinar, we will explore this wine in detail, looking at the three communes that comprise the production zone, to the winemaking styles of the finest producers, that vary from ultra traditional to modern. We will of course, focus on a few famous producers, but will also examine the wines of several underrated vintners.
Presenter: Tom Hyland
Tom Hyland is a Chicago-based wine writer/educator and photographer, specializing in Italian wines.
He has authored two books on Italian wines, and has conducted seminars for the trade on various Italian wines in Chicago, New York and in Bordeaux at VinExpo.
He has been writing about these wines for 19 years, and today is a contributor to Decanter and wine-searcher.com. He is also the U.S. ambassador for the consorzio, I Vini del Piemonte.
Learn more about Italian Wines:
Barolo Who's who with Tom Hyland
Summary:
The most celebrated examples of Barolo are among the finest examples of terroir anywhere in the wine world. Thanks to soil formations from millions of years ago, along with climatic conditions, Barolos from various communes can often vary greatly in style. Yet beyond the terroir of site-specific, there is also a human terroir at work, as enologists employ different techniques in their cellars.
In this session, we will explore the various styles of Barolo as driven by the human touch, from strict traditionalism to a more modern approach, we will discuss the characteristics of the finest producers and the finest wines of Barolo.
Presenter: Tom Hyland
Tom Hyland is a Chicago-based wine writer/educator and photographer, specializing in Italian wines.
He has authored two books on Italian wines, and has conducted seminars for the trade on various Italian wines in Chicago, New York and in Bordeaux at VinExpo.
He has been writing about these wines for 19 years, and today is a contributor to Decanter and wine-searcher.com. He is also the U.S. ambassador for the consorzio, I Vini del Piemonte.
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