Better than a stroll through Sag Harbor

Screw summering in the Hamptons.  I want to fly my personal jet to Piedmont.  

Instead of craning my neck to get a glimpse of the latest bimbo from the Real Housewives of New Jersey gallavanting by on horseback, I want to get lost in the vineyards, dine on Braised Rabbit and sip endless bottles of Barolo. 

Undisputedly one of the finest wines that Italy has to offer, the red wines of Barolo (yes, the wine and the region share a name) are the Rolls Royces of the wine world.  Sleek, powerful, complex and with a tannic structure built like a jet engine, these wines will blow your doors off. 

I’ve been reading Romancing the Vine:  Life, Love and Transformation in the Vineyards of Barolo over the last couple of weeks and have built a massive hunger to go there.  But since I can’t at the moment, I’ve put together some pics and facts to whet your whistle. 

• Barolo is made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes and hails from the Piemonte region of Northern Italy.
• Barolo is located two miles southwest of it’s other famous Piemonte neighbor, Barbaresco; although, the Barolo zone is cooler and located at higher elevations.
• Barolo is nearly three times the size of Barbaresco, but still pretty small, with it’s widest point being only 5 miles wide. 
• 87% of Barolo is produced in the original five communes:  Barolo,  La Morra, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d’ Alba and Monforte d’Alba.  Barolo and Castiglione Falletto are considered the “hearts of the region” and  most “classico” (although not an official designation).
• To be labeled DOCG (highest quality wine designation), a Barolo must have at least 2 years aging in oak and at least 1 year in bottle before release.  To be labeled Barolo Riserva, 5 years of aging is required, with at least 3 years in oak.

And now, some pics: 

Let me know which vineyard you’d like to meet in; you bring the Cotechino Sausage and I’ll bring the wine.

Maybe that’s the answer:  President Obama needs to go on a vine-planting world tour, stopping at every international hot spot to get down on bended knee and dig around in the dirt with the leaders of the world.  I find it hard to fathom that Kim Jong Il would have any interest in firing off a Taepo-Dong missile after sipping on Sassicaia and slurping down a bowl of homemade pasta sprinkled in white truffles and parmesan cheese.  But I digress…

Italy: Twenty distinct wine regions.  More than 1,000 native grape varietals.  And with some wines named by region, others by grape, some by grape and region, and others seemingly pulled out of Uncle Luigi’s hat, it can get quite confusing.  Well, my friends, in a country covered in close to 900,000 individual vineyards, and nearly every hill, mountain and valley covered in vines that may have been introduced thousands of years ago, it pays to take a step back and tip to your hat to the prowess that is Italian wine. From a rustic, earth driven, high-alcohol Primitivo from the south to a vibrant, mouth-watering Prosecco in the north, the sheer range of grapes and wine styles is staggering.

Now, about that vineyard in my backyard; when can I set up a time for Michelle and Barack to plant a couple of Dolcetto vines on my fifth floor fire escape?

A 30-second quiz for you.  How well do you know Italian wines and regions?

1.  The US wine market was awash in cheap versions of this wine in the 70′s and is served by Dr. Lecter as an aperitif with his fava bean dish:

(a) Morellino di Scansano

(b) Barbera d’ Alba

(c) Chianti

(d) Lambrusco

2.  A favorite with sommeliers for its full body, rich tannins and high acidity, this southern, dark-skinned grape is the star in Basilicata and Campania:

(a) Montepulciano

(b) Sangiovese

(c) Lagrein

(d) Aglianico

3.  This town in Piedmont takes the Nebbiolo grape on a ride to greatness.  Rising close to 165 ft higher than the Barbaresco zone, its vineyards make up close to 4,200 acres (1,700ha).  Decades of bottle age are possible:

(a) Siena

(b) Verona

(c) Barolo

(d) Assisi

4.  The northern region from which the Gargenega grape and the Trebbiano grape come together to yield intense white wines with mouth-filling texture and citrusy liveliness:

(a) Soave Classico

(b) Firenze

(c) Valpolicella

(d) Pisa

5.  In terms of volume of wine exported, Italy lands in what place?

(a) Fifth

(b) First

(c) Third

(d) Second

ANSWERS:  1(c)  2(d)  3(c)  4(a)  5(b)