Piedmont

Piedmont is a Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC, or controlled designation of origin) wine region in northwestern Italy. Considered by some as the premier Italian wine region, Piedmont is home to some of the most recognisable and revered wines. Red wines reign supreme, with Nebbiolo the king of red varieties. Both Barolo and Barbaresco are DOCG wines made entirely from the Nebbiolo grape in the Langhe hills around Alba and each is named after a village within its production zone. Nebbiolo is also grown outside the above DOCGs and labelled d 'Alba or Langhe, with other red varieties including Dolcetto and Barbera. White wines play a supporting role, but look for Gavi from the Cortese grape and Arneis produced in the Roero zone near Alba. The delicious, low-alcohol sparkling wines of Asti are produced from the Moscato grape.

• Key Varieties: Arneis, Barbera, Cortese, Dolcetto, Gavi, Moscato and Nebbiolo
• Climate: Generally cooler Mediterranean climate, with hot summers, foggy autumns, cold winters and low rainfall
• Soil: Calcareous marl and sandstone
• Did You Know: Piedmont produces the most DOCG wine by volume of all the wine regions in Italy.