Piedmont

Located in North West Italy, the Piedmont Wine Region has the largest area in terms of DOC and DOCG wines. Meaning “foot of the mountain,” due to its proximity to the Alps, Piedmont wines including Barolo, Barberesco, Gattinara, Ghemme and Gavi all benefit from the slopes and terrain characteristic of the region. Nebbiolo, the dominant grape variety for reds, produces wines with tannic and acidic qualities that can also have fairly high alcohol content. This combination makes the distinguished and cellar-worthy wines of Barolo and Barberesco some of the most sought-after, according to our Piedmont Wine Guide. In terms of value, the Langhe, Ghemme and Gattinara areas also produce wine with the Nebbiolo grape, but sell at a fraction of the price. Barbera and Dolcetto offer buoyant red wines that are best enjoyed in their youth. The crisp and fresh white wines from the Gavi DOC are made from the Cortese grape and are suitable pairings for lighter fare, such as seafood or poultry. Moscato is also grown in Piedmont and is responsible for most of the sparkling and sweet dessert-style wines produced in the region. For an extensive list of red and white wines, read our detailed Piedmont Wine Ratings.