We now return you to your regular Wine School programming.
No place is more famous for its nebbiolo wines than the Langhe in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, home to Barolo and Barbaresco. But the Langhe is far from the only place in which nebbiolo prospers.
To the north, in the foothills of the Alps, nebbiolo makes wonderful wines in appellations like Ghemme, Gattinara, Bramaterra and Carema, reminiscent of Barolo and Barbaresco but distinctive as well.
East of the Piedmont in Lombardy, northeast of Milan almost at the Swiss border, is Valtellina, where nebbiolo, known there locally as chiavennasca, makes remarkable wines. Valtellina is also Alpine, but the grapes are planted on south-facing slopes that trap the sunlight, which helps them ripen sufficiently to make rich wines.
This month we will explore Valtellina. Just a reminder: I will suggest three bottles. You find one or more to drink over the course of the month, with food and company, noting your reactions to the wines in the comments. We will regroup next month to discuss them.
Here are my suggestions:
Ar.Pe.Pe Rosso di Valtellina 2014 (Grand Cru Selections, New York) $35
Sandro Fay Valtellina Superiore Valgella Cà Moréi 2015 (T. Edward Wines, New York) $38
Aldo Rainoldi Valtellina Superiore Grumello 2015 (Leonardo LoCascio Selections/Winebow, New York) $40
You’ll note that two of the three are Valtellina Superiore, which theoretically indicates the finest expressions of the region. The appellation is restricted to slopes near five villages, Grumello, Inferno, Maroggia, Sassella and Valgella. I would generally recommend selecting Valtellina Superiore over plain Valtellina.
The third bottle is a Rosso di Valtellina, which is the most basic wine of the region and is not required to come from those same sites. Nor is it required to age as long as Valtellina Superiores, which can’t be released before at least two years in barrel and bottle. But I chose that wine because the producer, Ar.Pe.Pe. (pronounced are-pay-pay) is excellent.
If you cannot find these three bottles, please consider other wines from these same producers, as well as those from Mamete Prevostini, Balgera, Nino Negri, Alfio Mozzi and Dirupi.
Great options to serve with these wines include beef short ribs or stews, and risottos with mushrooms. You could try various Northern Italian meat dishes, pastas with mushroom and, if you are ambitious, various game dishes. Quail and squab would be great as well.
As I generally recommend with reds, please don’t serve them too warm. A very light chill, a little under room temperature, will enhance the wine.
Follow NYT Food on Twitter and NYT Cooking on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Get regular updates from NYT Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice.
