Piedmont, in northwestern Italy, is one of the most charming of all wine-growing landscapes and not only in the country. The sometimes rugged, steep hills with their small towns and villages on the tops leave a great and fascinating impression. Another peculiarity results from the location of Piedmont: surrounded by the Alps in the north and northwest, and delimited in the south by the Ligurian mountain ranges, the region is the only wine-growing region in Italy without Mediterranean influence.
With warm summers and cold winters and, due to the Alps, large day/night differences, a continental climate prevails here, which has also produced a very unique range of grape varieties. Due to its centuries-old relationship with France, Piedmont not only has a Francophile influence, it was one of Italy's early flourishing wine-growing regions long before any of the more recent ones. It was also a Frenchman who animated Piedmont to its most famous wine, Barolo.
Grown on just under 1,500 hectares, this wine made from the Nebbiolo grape variety is not only one of the most original red wines in the world, but also one of the best. Today, however, Barbaresco, also produced in a small, exclusive region and from the Nebbiolo grape variety, is in no way inferior to it.
Around the regions of Alba and Asti are also produced not only remarkable Nebbiolo wines, but interesting red wines produced from the grape varieties Dolcetto and Barbera, which can please with a very unique character.
Piedmont also has a lot to offer in terms of white wines. The most famous wine of the region is certainly the Gavi from the Commune Gavi, a rather lighter and neutral fruity white wine from the Cortese variety. More interesting is the Arneis, a variety that almost died out and has been recultivated only in the last 20 years, so that today at least an acceptable quantity of this quite original wine is available again.
Also noteworthy is the light, delicately sparkling and sweet Moscato, which again shows real quality.
