A Fall Menu for 5 Wines from Piemonte: Cortese di Gavi, Erbaluce, Barbera, Barolo, Brachetto d’ Asti

Piedmonte pairings

Which area in Italy has the best cuisine? Many say Bologna which abounds with amazing markets and restaurants and easy access to the wealth of Italy’s produce. Others may say Naples or Rome where I had several amazing meals (read more here).  

But honestly, it’s hard to beat Piedmont, home to Terra Madre, the Slow Food Festival, which I attended in Torino October 2022 and plan to attend in 2024.

Here I am, on a train in Torino Italy last year, leaving Terra Madre, the international Slow Food Conference where I was on a press pass, and attending two amazing meals. My first meal in Italy on this trip was actually at a Chinese Restaurant: Ristorante Zheng Yang (absolutely the most incredible Chinese food I’ve ever had!) and then at a Slow Food dinner at Eataly that was superlative. 

My first meal in Italy on this trip was actually at a Chinese Restaurant: Ristorante Zheng Yang (absolutely the most incredible Chinese food I’ve ever had!)

In November, the Italian Food Wine Travel group of wine writers is virtually visiting Piedmont in northern Italy which is reminding me of my IRL visit last year to Torino which inspired our food and wine pairings this month.

Piedmonte pairings

Menu for Wines from Piemonte

  • Cortese di Gavi from La Scolca 
    paired from caprese salad — fresh mozzarella, tomatoes on arugula 
  • Erbaluce from Falavospa with:
    roasted pumpkin soup with pepitas and pumpkin seed oil 
  • Barbera from Piovano’s 2017 ‘00’ Piemonte with
    margarita pizza with my homegrown heirloom tomatoes 
  • Barolo from Pio Cesare with
     herbed braised quail and Sue’s homemade pasta 
  • Brachetto d’ Asti from Ivaldi Susbel Brachetto d’Acqui with
    Biscotti and Mascarpone Truffles: Raspberry and Lemon
  • all wines are samples for my review consideration, and no payment was made 

Learn more about Piedmont/Piemonte wines and pairings here on Wine Predator:

 

2019 La Scolca Gavi dei Gavi Bianco Secco

2019 La Scolca Gavi dei Gavi Bianco Secco

ABV: 12%
SRP: 
Grapes: Cortese
Importer: Shaw-Ross International Imports
sample for my review

Appearance:  Yellow, pale lemon yellow, chamomile

Aroma: Citrus flower, waxy white flower, a pit of petrol, tarragon, saline, talc

Palate: Tart lemon, herbal almost minty without being minty, meadow grass, saline, very light and refreshing wine, 

Pairing: As we were tasting the wine, we thought of how nice it would be with a quiche that has a bit of tarragon in it.  Perfect with our caprese salad, the rich ripe tomatoes bring out lovely fruit in the wine. The creamy cheese cuts through the acidity in the wine, both the meal and the wine are so clean and bright and lovely together.

Erbaluce: 2021 Falavospa Erbaluche di Caluso

2021 Falavospa Erbaluche di Caluso

ABV: 13%
SRP: $24
Grapes: organic Erbaluche di Caluso
Importer: VeroVino
sample for my review

The name, falavospa, means ‘spark’ in the local dialect of Piemontese. Owner Antonella Piatti was the first to grow organic wine grapes in the Caluso area which is north of Torino. Verovino was first to import her wine into the US and they are the first business that Falavospa sold their wines outside of Italy as to as they usually  just sell their wines direct to consumers at farmers markets.
The name, falavospa, means ‘spark’ in the local dialect of Piemontese.

Appearance:  Very pale yellow or pale straw, almost platinum or white gold

Aroma: Subtle meadow flowers and herbs, lemon, asian pear, perfume, overall subtle nose with interesting nuances,

Palate: Enveloping mouthfeel, very tart and acidic, Eureka lemon, very palate cleansing, 

Pairing: Chicken piccada, of black cod with lemon capers and butter, Quite lovely with our pumpkin soup, it was great with the toasted pipits and roasted pumpkin oil drizzle atop, the creamy richness of the soup is cleansed with the wine, this is another wine that went through the entire meal, It was fantastic with our quail, the tomatoes and the rosemary complemented the wine so nicely. While I liked the truffle cheese with the wine, Sheila felt the cheese overwhelmed the wine. Great with the truffle cheese and the the gorgonzola and the spice in our red pepper flaked cheese.

Piovano’s 2017 ‘00’ Piemonte Barbera

2017 Piovano ‘00’ Piemonte Barbera

ABV: 13.5%
SRP: $25
Grapes: Barbera
Importer: VeroVino
sample for my review

Piovano’s Barbera arrived in the US for the first time last summer. 

Appearance:  Ruby, medium density, very pretty and youthful looking, ruby rim, 

Aroma: So heady, cigar box, cherry tobacco, potpourri, plum, exotic woods, cedar, sandlewood, sweet richness of amber, rich ripe fruit, 

Palate: Lovely wine, very well crafted and balanced, cherry, tart cherry, woodsy finish, bold acidity, strong tannins, eucalyptus, pine tar, oxalis, takes its time to open up and breathe, rhubarb, 

Pairing: Bagna cauda is so rich and was completely elevated by this bright acidic wine. We felt that this wine would have been the wine to choose if you wanted a wine to go with the menu from beginning to end. Sue was in her happy place with the margarita pizza and the wine. The rich bright umami of the tomato, the creaminess of the fresh melted mozzarella and the beauty of the fresh basil as well as the fresh chopped garlic, melded perfectly with the wine. The fennel salami was also delicious with the wine. 

2015 Damilano Lecinquevigne Barolo

2015 Damilano Lecinquevigne Barolo

ABV: 2015
SRP: $40
Grapes: Nebbiolo
Importer: Winebow
sample for my review

“Lecinquevigne” refers to the five vineyards where the Damilano family harvests their Nebbiolo grapes. The family has been making wine for over 100 years, and they suggest pairing with braised meats, mushrooms and aged cheeses.

I had one of their wines at Terra Madre in Torino, Italy, at an amazing meal at Eataly in October 2022.

Appearance:  A bit ruddy as it should be, garnet with a coral rim

Aroma: Raspberry, rhubarb, saandlewood, forest floor, violet, heady musky aroma, leather, suede, butterscotch, anise seed

Palate: So tart and bright, super tart cherry, rhubarb, cranberry, slate, eucalyptus, sandpaper tannins, big bright acidity, chalky on the back end, the flavors are pleasant, but more than that this is a very textural wine. 

Pairing: Absolutely perfect with the rosemary in the quail dish, The rich earthy flavors respond to the rich earthy flavors in the meal. Very good with the bagna cauda, it loved the richness of the food and the food loved the bright cleansing fruit in the wine, both are so perfect together

2021 Ivaldi Susbel Brachetto d’Acqui

 2021 Ivaldi Susbel Brachetto d’Acqui 

ABV: 6.5%
SRP: $20
Grapes: Brachetto
Importer: VeroVino
sample for my review

Ivaldi Susbel Brachetto d’Acqui is on Vinepair’s list of top 13 sweet wines for 2023. You gotta love a nice fizzy low alcohol wine at the end of the evening! 

Appearance:  Very pale, raspberry with a platinum rim, bubbles cling to the edge of the glass, 

Aroma: What a beautiful aroma, floral and fruit, raspberry, watermelon, cherry, watermelon rind, cucumber, strawberry, fresh roses, musk, rhubarb, so fragrant and lovely, the aroma is off the charts, hibiscus

Palate: Very sweet like fresh grapes, not cloying, fresh grape juice, an aromatic juice, great as a spritzer of to mix with a tonic,  if you love moscato you will love this wine,  great effervescence, 

Pairing: loves the anise and the vanilla in the biscotti, a bit of hibiscus is enhanced with the flavorful cookie, the crunch of the almonds and the cookie is perfect with the wine and when the chocolate truffle is added to the mix it is absolute perfection. The wine was perfect with our Chocolate Marcapone raspberry truffles, it was perfect with the fruit in the wine.

Learn more about Piedmont from the Italian Food Wine Travel writers:

You’re invited to chat on this topic! Questions for the #ItalianFWT Piedmont-Aosta event on November 4, 2023 at 8am Pacific / 11am Eastern follow with. times on the chat questions are Eastern.

11:00 – Q1 Welcome to the November #ItalianFWT chat! From where are you tweeting ? Introduce yourself, share a link to your blog and a selfie if you like. Use the #ItalianFWT hashtag during our chat and if you’re joining in live this morning: Buongiorno!

11:05 – Q2 Have you visited the Piedmont-Aosta areas? Tell us about your favorite parts! Did you visit any Piedmont-Aosta producers while you were there? #ItalianFWT

11:15 – Q3 What was your initial impression of Piedmont-Aosta? One or the other? Or both? #ItalianFWT 

11:20 – Q4 How would you describe Piedmont-Aosta wine to someone who’s never had it? Top three adjectives, perhaps!  #ItalianFWT

11:30 – Q5 What did you pour? How did you select your bottle? Share a link to your tasting notes! #ItalianFWT

11:35 – Q6 What food pairings did you do with the Piedmont-Aosta wines? Share a link to your blogpost for today. #ItalianFWT

11:45 – Just a shoutout of appreciation to the #ItalianFWT bloggers who participated today and shared articles about Piedmont-Aosta: @WendyKlik @culinary_cam @VinoTravels21 @Vignetocomm @LemieuxAndrea @lifeattable @ricasoli99 @artpredator #ItalianFWT

11:50 – Q7 What other food pairing ideas do you have? Any pairings that just didn’t work? #ItalianFWT

11:55 – Q8 Do you know / have you tasted other wines from the area? Which ones?  #ItalianFWT

12:00 p.m. Thanks for joining us #ItalianFWT today! Next month we’ll be exploring Lombardy wines with @ArtPredator hosting. Read her invitation: https://winepredator.com/2023/11/02/an-invite-to-write-about-the-wines-of-lombardy-plus-a-visit-to-valtellina-sightseeing-at-sirmione-and-avansi-lugana-di-sirmione-doc-italianfwt/


Please join us next month for Lombardy– I’m hosting!  Learn all about Lombardy and read the invitation post here.

 

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