Piedmont Wine

Piedmont sits in Italy's northwest against the Alps, and stands alongside Tuscany as one of the country's two most prestigious wine regions, built almost entirely on Nebbiolo, a grape whose name likely comes from the autumn fog that settles over its vineyards. It reaches its finest expression in the neighbouring zones of Barolo and Barbaresco, both known for famously high tannin and acidity built for years, sometimes decades, of ageing. Nebbiolo d'Alba offers a more approachable, earlier-drinking entry to the same grape, grown just outside those two flagship zones. Pale in colour but intensely structured, it rewards patience more than almost any other Italian red. For the country's other great region, Tuscany Wine is worth a look, and Italian Wine covers everything else on offer.