INTRO
At the foot of the Alps, bordering France and Switzerland, lies the northwestern region of Italy: Piedmont, which in Italian means “foot of the mountain”. This is a region that holds a quiet significance in Italy. Rome, Florence, and Sicily are the natural attention seekers with their incredible architecture, history, and volcano. All the while, Piedmont has been at the center of land grabs, border changes, rising and falling kingdoms. Turin, the capital of Piedmont, was even the capital of the Kingdom of Italy for a spell from 1861- 1865. It is the overlooking of Piedmont that first attracted us to its vibrant history, and breathtaking vista of pristine lakes and the River Po. This area is caught in the middle of a tug of war between the cold air from the Alps and the warm air from the Mediterranean Sea, which covers the region in fog in the morning that slowly burns off throughout the day.
Even the people of Piedmont prefer to go unnoticed. Torinese philosopher, writer, and Italian senator, Norberto Bobbio once said that the motto of Piedmont should be, “ Let us not exaggerate!”, referring to the moderate and understated nature of the people. Sometimes perceived as cold, the Piedmontese do not kiss on both cheeks like their Italian siblings, but prefer a firm handshake. They prefer rules and structure, timeliness, frankness, and cleanliness. They seem almost more culturally similar to a Wisconsinite than the Italian we conjure from the movies (or if you are from North Jersey, a reality) who is boisterous, wild, and not afraid to yell in public, or cry. Who gestures with their whole body, creating an emotional sign language all can understand. Could it be the comfort of being surrounded by the Alps on three sides that has created this distinctly different personality? Is it the temperate climate that receives as much rainfall as London that makes the people colder? Could it be that descending from royalty makes them so attracted to rules and regulations? The answer might be yes to all of these questions, but we feel that a deeper understanding of what creates a cultural identity lies in its food.
Unsurprisingly at this point, Piedmont is considered one of the best and least known wine regions of Italy, and one that when explored, can lead to a better understanding of wine in general. It introduced the world to grapes like Nebbiolo which we enjoy when drinking the big, bold, and beautiful Barolo and Barbaresco wines. However, this most famous grape only accounts for 3% of what is grown here, so there is much for us to explore!
Over the next two months, we will be exploring Piedmont through two food movements: truffle hunting in July, and slow food in August. Using these extraordinary foods as our guide, and wine as the vehicle, we attempt to answer the question, “How does food explain people?”. This question is the fog that rolls in over night, and through tasting and reading, we hope to reveal a land full of hidden gems. Just don’t tell anyone about it.
ALL ABOUT TRUFFLES
All truffles both white and black are fancied these days because of their unique earthy flavor. A once high class delicacy can now be found on french fries and mac n’ cheese. Truffles are the fruiting body of a fungus which grows a few inches underground and thrive around hardwood trees like oak and chestnut. The truffles will pass water to the tree, and in return the tree sends sugars to the truffles. There are thousands of species of truffles but only two are prized: the black truffle or Périgord Truffle, and the white truffle of Alba. Piedmont is rich in black truffles as are areas of southern Europe and, most famously, France. However, the Forest of Alba, in the northwestern region of Piedmont, is the only place where the coveted white truffle hides. Its taste is more subtle than the black truffle, and you might notice an earthy tang akin to garlic with a peppery sensation. All truffles share a nutty/ oaky note to them, perhaps due to their friendship with the nearby trees. Chefs will impress you with their paper thin shavings of white truffle atop risotto or a potato dish where the subtle creaminess of the truffle will meld perfectly with cheese. Black truffles enjoy a hearty grating over red meats, but can really be eaten with anything.
We have pigs and wild boars to thank for the discovery of these tubers, and they were often used in the Middle Ages for rooting truffles out. Pigs have a natural attraction to truffles and do not need to be trained. But this also meant that a truffle hunter had to fight the pig for the buried treasure. Now dogs are trained to sniff out truffles as they have more endurance and cause less damage to the sensitive ecosystem than a pig’s pushy nose. Ironically, truffles, which are such a delicacy to be paired with wine, have been largely reduced due to vine growth in the surroundings of Alba, making white truffles even more desirable. Langhe, Roero, and the Monferrato Hills still offer large wild patches of forest for hunting. It is the rarity and the satisfying large size of the white truffle that makes the hunt so exciting.
THE PIEMONTESE ARE TRUFFLES TOO
Like all the best things, white truffle hunting is shrouded in mystery and practiced by only a dedicated few trifolai. Mostly men in their 70s, they take years to train and form relationships with their tabui hunting dogs claiming that the best hunting breeds are bastardinos, or mutts. These names are given in Piemontese, which is its own language, a mix of Italian and Gaelic, and like truffle hunting has lasted through the centuries. Trifolao and tabui get to know the Forest of Alba in and out before they begin their hunts. Tabui have been trained at the only school for truffle hunting dogs since the 1880s. Black truffle season lasts from April to September and it is even possible as a tourist to pay to accompany a trifolao on their hunt. White truffle hunting has a much shorter foraging season, only during the first cold from November to December. And the trifolao do all their hunting at night and at dawn so that the location of white truffles within the forest remains a secret. Only trifolao and trusted tabui know where.
The practice of truffle hunting created the trifolao which is a personality all on its own. The trifolao honors tradition and reveres history. They must be good secret keepers, which means they must be humble and feel the importance of their knowledge is greater than the attention they would get for sharing it. They also must be slow to trust, and need time to build. This comes from a pride in their land, because they know how there is no other place in the world like Piedmont. At the foothills of the Alps, through the River Po to the Mediterranean Sea, from the rice paddies of Vercelli to the gentle hills of Langhe, things grow here that cannot be replicated. The tradition of truffle hunting and the world of trifolai gets smaller every year due to the perils of deforestation and climate change. With less area to forage, and only a half dozen people who know the secret of the trade, the trifolai are as precious as the white truffles they hunt.
To learn more about truffle hunters there is a truly fantastic documentary called “The Truffle Hunters” from 2020 by director Michael Dweck. It is a heartwarming, odd, and very real look at the heart of this business. Look for it where you stream movies or, if you use a dvd player, you can rent it from the library!
WINE 1
Cordero Di Montezemolo
Nebbiolo Langhe
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe
Made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes, this Langhe expression from Piedmont includes grapes from three primary sites in La Morra, Alba and Roero with the addition of some bunches from Barolo as well. These are all distinctive areas within the Piedmont region that contribute to this wine getting the title 'Langhe'. This subregion within Piedmont covers some of the most prized vineyards throughout the area (many of which are home to the truffles we are talking about this month!) and the term Langhe translates to "long, low lying hill".
Similar to truffles, the Nebbiolo grape varietal thrives in Piedmont. Also similar, the grapes do not appear in many other places around the globe. Other regions, including California, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Uruguay, and South Africa, have been drawn to the allure that Nebbiolo offers, but none have made wines that come close to the complexity of those produced with the same varietal grown in Piedmont.
The Cordero family has been growing Nebbiolo (and other regional varietals such as Dolcetto, Barbera, Arneis, and now Chardonnay) for the past 75 years and all of their 51 hectares of vineyards are certified organic. Like many other producers in the region, the wines from the Cordero family are made from vineyards that are a patchwork of plots, collected and sought after over time.
This bottle is something to open sooner than later. While Nebbiolo is used to make the iconic and age-worthy Barolo & Barbaresco wines, this bottling is built for consumption within the next 5 years. The grapes were harvested entirely by hand, crushed immediately and then left to macerate on the skins for 8-10 days in stainless steel tanks. After fermentation, the wine aged in the tank for another 4-5 months, and then rested in the bottle for 3 months before being released.
This wine will pair perfectly with ragu pasta, risotto, mushrooms and polenta. Nebbiolo is a grape with some powerful & velvety tannins, which can be a perfect partner to bitter & crunchy salads made with radicchio and endive. Nebbiolo grapes provide for such a range of flavors from blackberry to tobacco, cocoa to violets. If you have access to truffles, shave them over anything and take a good sip of this wine.
\An ideal serving temperature for this wine: 61°F. So, in these summer months you can still love this wine. If you are using a regular kitchen fridge like us, put the bottle in there for 20 minutes to bring it down to the proper temp.
WINE 2
Villa Sparina
Gavi
Italy, Piedmont, Gavi
The Gavi subregion of southern Piedmont is the home to the best production of the Cortese grape varietal used to make wines known as Gavi, or Cortese di Gavi wine. The Cortese grape wines of Gavi are famous for their lime skin aromatics and bracing acidity. A perfect wine to wipe the summer sweat off your brow.
Often, the Cortese grape can have difficulty ripening, creating wines that are too acidic. This has not done well for the reputation of the grape, leading producers to use it sparingly in blends. However, in Gavi, the conditions for ripening are perfect. With the influence of the Mediterranean Sea just about an hour's drive from the vineyards, the grapes have a gentler, warmer, and longer ripening time.
Villa Sparina's vineyards have been owned by the Moccagotta Family since the 1970s, well before anyone knew how popular the white wines of Gavi would become. They stretch for about 70 hectares over clay and gravelly soils. Once the grapes are harvested and crushed, there is a three week fermentation in stainless steel, and then the wine goes in the bottle. Made from 30 year old vines, this expression of Cortese is richly textured, while still feeling bright and lively.
When pairing with food, the white wines of Gavi pair best with the summer black truffles. You can have them with fried eggs, and a light salad, or with tagliatelle pasta. Whatever you end up preparing for a gavi and truffle pairing, lean into the "less is more". Truffles provide so much flavor already, so you don't want to make anything too complex or overly spiced. Let the wine and truffles do the talking.
Our aim is to give a glimpse into the many roles wine has played throughout history. All subjects mentioned deserve more attention and research and we encourage you to keep exploring. We are only here to pop the cork.
Many Thanks, Caravan Wine Shop
