Degustazione del Vino: Just Another Day at School

Today I experienced my first academic degustazione di vino. Two winemakers from Trediberri and Matteo Correggia joined us for this tasting to share their knowledge and wines with the class. With a spotlight on local, regional reds, I was excited not only to be reunited with my classmates after weeks spent in lockdown, but also to taste some great wine and learn something new!

Located in the La Morra in the Langhe hills of Piemonte, Trediberri is a winery that focuses primarily on the production of Barolo, but also Barbera, Sauvignon Blanc, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo. A young, artisanal winery, they don’t boast a rich family history but rather choose to emphasize the present through their wines. Moreover, they take great pride in seeing their bottles finished quickly, which they say is their greatest recognition. Trediberri always strives to produce the most balanced and drinkable wines and their relaxed, free-spirited wines reflect this. Echoing the fluid, colourful nature of Trediberri’s wines are their unique watercolour wine labels, which were designed in collaboration with local artist Pierflavio Gallina.

We tasted two reds from Trediberri:

Barolo DOCG

• With grapes from the Berri and Capalot vineyards, this Barolo is aged in oak barrels for almost two years before resting for several more months in concrete or steel vats

• It’s characterized as weightless and fresh, with an amazingly rich colour

• It pairs well with goat cheese, gnocchi, fondue, and braised meats

Dogliani DOCG Bricco Mollea

• Old vineyards from the cru Bricco Mollea found at the southern border of Langhe produce this dogliano by where alcoholic fermentation happens only in concrete vats and lasting around 10 days before the process continues in stainless steel vats

• This unique spin on a Dolcetto is slightly tannic with a lingering spiciness, yet refreshing finish

• It pairs well with a saffron risotto, pad thai, chicken tikka masala, Mortadella and Squacquerone

The other visiting vinter introduced us to the wines of Matteo Correggia, another winery nearby who instead emphasizes tradition with vineyards growing traditionally grape varieties like Arneis, Brachetto and Barbera. Over the years the family business has shifted its focus, setting new goals in biological production through the synergy between wine and other forms of art, such as their initiative with Reverse Innovation to create Librottiglia, a place where great wine and literary pleasure meet—wines are paired with a narrative genre to create a perfectly balanced oeno-literary experience based on the sensory impressions and scenarios of the stories.

We tasted two (more!) reds:

Anthos

• Brachetto grapes are aged for a minimum of 4 months in stainless steel vats

• This wine has a delicate floral sweetness that is reminiscent of violets

• It has an optimal serving temperature of 1 °C and pairs well with white fish, “bagna freida” sauce and artichokes with rice wafers as conceptualized by local chef of Restaurant Il Centro di Priocca

Roero

• Nebbiolo grapes are aged for a minimum of 6 months in wooden casks to give an oaky, smoked flavour and aroma

• This Roero is intense, yet flowery with a simple tannic structure

• The optimal serving temperature for this wine is 20°C and pairs well with yolk-filled ravioli with seirass cheese, porcini mushrooms, watercress and a butter mousse

Overall, my first “wine lab” was a pleasant experience and I can’t wait to learn more about wines in the coming months. I must admit that right now I’m still at the level where my perception of vino is based on whether or not I enjoy the wine or not. Though back home I was always the designated wine picker, moving to Italy, I quickly realized that I actually know nothing about wine! But that’s okay because I’m more than willing to gain all the knowledge that I can now, given the academic setting which I am so blessed to attend.

Since I’m living in Piemonte, where some of the greatest Italian wines are produced (Barolo, Barbaresco, Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Arneis, etc.), I also look forward to doing my own exploration of wines and visiting vineyards in the new year when things (hopefully!) start to open again.