When you think about wines from Piemonte, Italy, you probably think about Barolo or Barbaresco. But, on a recent trip to Piemonte, I spent a few days in the hilly region of Roero enjoying the Nebbiolos and Arneis wines produced there. This is truly a hidden gem of a region as I wrote in my column in the Napa Valley Register which you can read below.
Roero is a hidden gem located in Piemonte, Italy. It is not Barolo. It is not Barbaresco. It is not even Nebbiolo Langhe. Roero, a hilly region located north of Alba in the northeast corner of the province of Cuneo, has its own distinctiveness and elegance.
Of course, being in Piemonte, the region of Roero produces Barbera d’Alba, Birbèt, Bonarda, Favorita, Moscato d’Asti and Nebbiolo d’Alba. But the DOCG wines of Roero are red Roero, made with a minimum of 95 percent Nebbiolo, and white Roero, made from a minimum of 95 percent Arneis.
Roero Nebbiolo dates to the beginning of the 14th century. Roero is a semi-arid zone with predominantly sandstone, marine-origin sedimentary rocks, limestone, clay and sand soils. These soils make Roero a desirable site for growing Nebbiolo, which is gown in hillside vineyards.
