All About Barolo Wine
You must have heard the saying that comes with Barolo wine. “The wine of kings, the king of wines.” Yes, you heard it right!! Now tell me, do you need any more introduction to this wine? No, right! I had your curiosity already, but I think now I have your attention too!
If you love ice cream, then you must have an idea of how much the crust part holds all the attention and fun! In the world of wines, this one is the crust that you dare not miss out on! If you think that red wines are just about Burgundy and Bordeaux, then you might be highly mistaken. This Italian wine is known for its elegance and age-worthiness. It is a dry-style red wine that comes with powerful expressions of Nebbiolo grapes. Want to know more about this wine? Here is the complete guide for you that will help you discover everything about this red and bold wine!
About Barolo Wines
Origin and Grapes
- First things first, this wine gets its name from the two towns from where originates that is, Barbaresco and Bardolino.
- Now coming to its origin, it can be traced back to 2500 years in history when its grape variety has been just started growing.
- It originated from the northeastern part of the Piedmont region of Italy. There are 11 communes that make up the wine producing region of Barolo, including the five most prominent ones: Barolo, La Morra, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d’Alba, and Monforte d’Alba.
- It is made from Nebbiolo grapes which are small in size, have thin red skin, are high in tannins and acidity. The acidity of the grapes is balanced out by the soil’s alkalinity.
- Barolo wine is essentially made from these grapes without any exceptions. This grape variety buds very soon and takes the longest to ripen. The harvest generally takes place in the month of October.
How it is made?
- As I told you, the region where Nebbiolo grapes are grown is divided into an area of 11 villages in the northeastern part of Italy.
- Every village has slight changes in the flavor as the soil composition varies from village to village, and this grape variety expresses its terroir. But these are very subtle changes that cannot be felt by an ordinary palate (but if you are a pro and have attention to detail, then you will not miss them!)
- The process of producing this wine is usually the same everywhere. After the production of the wine, it is then kept for at least three years for aging in wooden barrels. If kept for aging of five years, then the wine is called Barolo Riserva. The most used clones are Nebbiolo Lampia, Michet, and Rosé.
- After that, the wine is ready to go in the market and reach its lovers like you. It is sometimes chosen to age further to tone down its tannins a bit.
- The Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita is the highest classification for Italian wines and denotes a quality guarantee. Wines from the Barolo DOCG must be 100% Nebbiolo and aged at least 38 months, 18 of those in wood barrels.
Taste and Flavors
- It comes with a beautiful and translucent dark and bold ruby color. But it loses this color as it ages and turns to orange brick color with the passing time.
- When it comes to the tasting notes, it is a very complex wine. It has well blended and measured tasting notes of red berries, fruits, rose, tobacco, herbs, coffee, and chocolate.
- This wine is a full-bodied wine with solid tannins and high acidity levels.
- It is a well-structured wine that is laced with aromas of licorice and black fruit, with hints of rose, tar, violets, cinnamon, and cloves.
- When sipping Barolo wine, you will not feel a fruit bomb on the palate but rather the wine’s elegance!
Food Pairings and Serving
- It is a perfect wine to sip for any special occasion of yours! To enjoy it to the fullest, you must take care of the food pairings that will go perfectly with this wine.
- This is a dry style and full-bodied wine full of tannins. So, keeping that in mind, I think it will go perfectly with protein-based dishes to get glued with the tannins.
- To this complex wine, the show stopper food companions will be steak tarte, salted rib roast, white truffles, risotto, dark chocolates, and intensely flavored cheese.
- Before serving it to the guests, keep it in a decanter for a while to let it open its tannins!
3 Great Buys of Barolo Wine
(4.3 / 5)
- Price: $154.99
- It is a blend of several grape varieties. With mesmerizing aromas, it shows the fineness of the Nebbiolo grapes.
(4.2 / 5)
- Price: $95.99
- It is refined with young red fruit and citrus character with has earthy and oaky flavors and has the aroma of dried rose petals and soft vanilla.
(3.7 / 5)
- Price: $42.99
- A perfectly structured and matured with tasting notes of red fruits, brown spice, and flowers.
Conclusion
This is a “must-have in your collection” wine!! After all, it is the king of wines. Just trust me and try it out once, and I can guarantee you that you are going to fall in love with this wine every time you drink it! In fact, Barolo is so popular in Italian households that they choose to pair the wine with every special occasion dinner. It is truly one of the most exotic and beautiful wines to experience. Try out the recommendations that we have listed here to start the journey of love with this wine!!
