Native to Piedmont in north west Italy it makes some of the countries, if not the world's finest and most distinctive wines, with the villages of Barolo and Barbaresco demonstrating the apex of what the grape variety is capable of. Due to it's finiky nature requiring just the right nutrients and the longest growing season, finding vineyard with the right soil and aspect is crucial a factor which partly explains why its accounts for just 3% of the regions production. Wines with Nebbiolo d'Alba DOC on the label are made from grapes grown around the town of Alba. While they don't take on the distinct aromas of tar and coffee attributed Barolo and Barbaresco, the vineyards sandier soils tend to produce wines with delicious soft fruit more appropriate for near term drinking. They also tend to come in at a more wallet appealing price! The grape is still experimented with in a number of different regions across the world, albeit on a small scale, with producers such as Palmina in the central coast of California producing some promising examples.
A large agricultural area, Lombardia produces a significant amount of wine, more in fact than nearby Trentino-Alto Adige or Marche. Due to the viticultural centers being so distant both in terms of geography and style, its identity has been hard to pin down. For this reason and the fact that so much is consumed locally, it doesn't at the minute, receive quite the voice abroad, as it deserves. The sub-regions of Franciacorta, Valtellina, and Olrepo Pavese represent the regions highest quality wine.
Valtellina, an alpine valley in the far north of Lombardy, has been producing wine for over 2000 years. Today it is known for its bright, cherry-scented wines made from the Nebbiolo grape variety, known here as Chiavennasca (after the nearby town of Chiavenna). These come in two forms: the standard Rosso di Valtellina and its powerful, dried-grape Sfursat (Sforzato) form.
Red wine is wine made from dark-coloured grape varieties. The color of red differs based on the grapes variety or varieties used.Interestingly, black grapes yield a juice that is greenish-white. The actual red color comes from anthocyan pigments (also called anthocyanins) from the skin of the grape (exceptions are the relatively uncommon teinturier varieties, which produce a red colored juice). Most of the production centers around the extraction of color and flavor from the grape skin.
