The 2004, the year which has just passed, ended with a grave loss for the world of Italian wine and - with no fear of doubt - for the whole world of wine. The last November 29th, in Bergamo - the city where he lived - at 78 has passed away Luigi Veronelli. The sad news deeply shocked the world of enology and with him we all lose the greatest - and the first - enogastronomical critic and divulger of our times. Whoever has been into wine for at least once in his or her life, knew who Luigi Veronelli was and the precious work he did for almost fifty years in favor of Italian wine, olive oil, the revaluation of agricultural resources and the country world. Luigi Veronelli - whose friends were used to call him “Gino” - has always tenaciously fought and with determination in favor of wine and against its homologation. For him wine - and it was enough to look at him with a glass of wine in his hands to understand this - has always been a dear and loyal friend, a friend to respect and to defend against the endless attempts of speculation.

 Whoever works in the wine business, as well as any lover of the beverage of Bacchus, knows that without his work and his revolutionary and pioneer ideas, the world of Italian wine would not be today what it is. Luigi Veronelli had the courage and the intuition of awakening the world of Italian enogastronomy from its long and deprecable sleeping, therefore giving back to Italy the conscience and cultural identity of its wine and foods, while promoting - the first one in our country - the long and hard way that from quantity led to quality. Luigi Veronelli was the first one to convince Italian wine producers - since 1960's - that great wines born in the vineyard. He was the first one who insisted on the absolute need of selecting grapes in the vineyard, to introduce the importance of terroir, to emphasize the potentials and differences of each vineyards and of each cru. He was the first one to believe Italian wine could improve in order to reach exceptional levels of quality: an idea on which - at those times - no one dared to believe and could not understand. All that in 1960's and 1970's, when quantity still was the main goal of Italian enology and quality was seen as an utopia. Luigi Veronelli has been a great pioneer.

 Moreover, he was a pioneer in the information and in the way of writing about wine: whoever is in the enogastronomy press and write about wine knows he or she owes to Luigi Veronelli the gratitude granted to a master. His many books, the countless articles published in journals and magazines, have taught anyone who had the pleasure to read them: his words have introduced to the world of wine countless lovers. His lexicon and his way of writing about wine, in his absolutely personal style, are now part of the description of wine and criticism parlance. Among the most famous ones it is impossible not to mention “meditation wine” and “fable wine”. With the loss of Luigi Veronelli we lost the fundamental and historical pillar for anyone writing about wine, an important reference point who taught anyone and strongly contributed to the spreading of enogastronomical press and information.

 Luigi Veronelli was born in Milan on February 2nd, 1926 and at about 25 he discovered his passion for the world of enogastronomy, at 30 he is the editor of “Il Gastronomo” (The Gastronomer) a philosophical-gastronomical magazine. The style he uses for writing about the many subjects - polemical and provocative - soon allowed him to notoriety and he wrote many books either alone or in collaboration with others. Luigi Veronelli was also a very popular TV personage in the 1960's and 1970's: unforgettable is the TV show “A tavola alle sette” together with Ave Ninchi, the great Italian actress too rapidly forgotten and that should be more frequently remembered. He has always been a strenuous opposer of the Italian DOC system - in which he saw a system in favor of commercial and industrial wineries - and he used to say that «the worst wine of a peasant is better than the best industrial wine». His last “battles” were in favor of Communal Denominations for food resources and source price as well as supporting the revaluation of olive oil production.

 His ideas - always tenaciously supported with determination - have had the “fault” of being told too early in respect of times, in moments in which no one could understand them, maybe because of the incapacity of looking beyond the horizon and the will to change things. Despite his ideas have been source of problems - even with law - and for which he found many friends, as well as many enemies, today, after tens of years, we know Luigi Veronelli was right. Italian wine owes much of its success in the world to his intuitions and to the cultural and enological revolution of which he indisputably was pioneer and leader. And the effects are still visible today even after more than thirty years. We all who love wine owe something to Luigi Veronelli. He was the first one to teach us how to “talk” and “listen' to wine, to revaluate its dignity and to understand its soul. Without his work, Italian wine would not be what it is today and certainly it would be said and written less about wine and of its vast world. We all owe you gratitude, dear master Luigi Veronelli, and we hope it will not be offensive if we dare to say goodbye in a friendly way - granting us the privilege of friendship - by means of the words of this small tribute to your person and to your work. Thank you Gino.

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 Alsace is probably the most renowned French wine region in the world for white wines. In this strip of territory - to the border of Germany and contended with it in the past for a long time - are almost exclusively cultivated white berried grapes with which are produced many and famous styles of wine. The only representative of red grapes in Alsace - which also represents a marginal percentage in the viticulture of the region - is Pinot Noir. In this region - maybe more than any other - the grapes and their aromas play the leading role in the cellar, hardly - if not rarely - wines are being aged in casks in order to preserve and enhance the fruity and floral character of grapes. It should also observed that in Alsace are being cultivated among the most aromatic grapes in the world - such as Gewürztraminer, Muscat Blanc and Riesling - to which is also added the indispensable and primary factor of the territory.

 Alsace is - in the French enological scenario - a particular region according to many aspects. The region is practically oriented to the production of white wines only, the grapes cultivated in Alsace are rarely found in other French regions. Finally, the name of the grape is a primary and identifying element of wine and of label as opposed to other French regions in which it is absent in favor of the mention of the place of production. Alsace is among the most northern wine areas of France and only Champagne is located at a higher latitude, it is at about 500 kilometers east from Paris (about 300 miles), near the border with Germany along the course of Rhine river. The Alsatian region is shielded in the west side by Vosges mountains, therefore ensuring a less cold climate and shielded from cold winds. As opposed to other areas in the same latitude, the climate of Alsace is pretty warm and dry, and thanks to the protection offered by Vosges mountains, rains are less frequent than in other French regions.

Alsace

 Because of the vicinity of Alsace with Germany, it is often said that in this region are being produced German wines in French style. Many factors could make think this to be true - including latitude, the vicinity of Rheingau region and the use of Riesling grape - however the wine philosophy of Alsace is pretty different from German style. In Alsace - as opposed to Germany - grape sugar is completely transformed into alcohol therefore producing drier and fuller body wines than German ones. A factor that could eventually join Alsace to Germany is that in both areas are not used casks - if not rarely - and malolactic fermentation is avoided in order to keep the fresh and fruity character of each grape variety. As opposed to what it is commonly believed, most of Alsatian wines are dry, whereas German wines always have a certain quantity of residual sugar.

 Vineyards in Alsace are found - for most of the part - at an altitude from 160 and 420 meters (550-1380 feet) and the autumnal humidity favors the development of Botrytis Cinerea, essential for the production of the renowned Sélection de Grains Nobles. The composition of Alsatian soil is pretty vast, it is composed by an average of twenty different types of soil. The most common soils in Alsace include granitic, sandy, schistose, volcanic, clay, marl and limestone sediments. The origin of the plains at the feet of Vosges mountains is alluvial, very fertile, not very suited to the cultivation of vine. In soils rich in clay and marl, wines generally tend to have a fuller body, whereas the ones produced in limestone and sands are more delicate and elegant. In schistose soils rich in slate, wines tend to have a more mineral character, in particular the wines made with Riesling grape.

 As already mentioned, Alsace is a land of white wines and therefore the viticulture is essentially oriented to white berried varieties. The only red berried grape found in Alsace - with a pretty marginal percentage - is Pinot Noir used for the production of Rouge d'Alsace and of Rosé d'Alsace, it is found in most of classic method sparkling wines Crémant d'Alsace. In this region some varieties of white grapes are traditionally called noble and represent - as a matter of fact - the most renowned grapes of Alsace: Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Muscat Blanc. It should be observed that in Alsace Gewürztraminer is generally written as Gewurztraminer (without umlaut) and Pinot Gris is traditionally called Tokay Pinot Gris or Tokay d'Alsace. Moreover, the varieties of Muscat found in the region are two: Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (Muscat Blanc with small berries) - also known as Muscat d'Alsace - and Muscat Ottonel.

 In Alsace are also cultivated other white berried grapes - not belonging to the family of noble grapes but however interesting - such as Silvaner - here known as Sylvaner - Pinot Blanc, Chasselas, Klevner and Auxerrois. In the region is also found Chardonnay - introduced in recent times - mainly used for the production of Crémant d'Alsace. The grapes Klevner, Auxerrois and Chasselas are rarely used for the production of monovarietal wines and the most frequent usage is to be added to other varieties - in particular Pinot Blanc - in order to give more character and body. These grapes are also used - together with noble varieties - for the production of Edelzwicker - whose meaning is noble blend - a wine of pretty variable quality which certainly does not honor its literal meaning.

 The wine region of Alsace is recognized by the French quality system as an area of Appellation d'Origine Côntrolée, abbreviated as AOC. Inside the Alsace AOC (or Vin d'Alsace AOC) are also found two quality appellations: the famous Alsace Grand Cru AOC and Crémant d'Alsace AOC. All wines belonging to Alsace AOC - according to the production disciplinary - can mention in the label the name of the grape with which are being made only in case it is a monovarietal wine, that is exclusively produced with one grape variety. This characteristic is typical of Alsace, whereas in other French wine regions it is exclusively mentioned the name of the area or cru with no reference to the grape or grapes used for the production. In case a wine was produced by assembling more grapes, it can also mention in the label the term Edelzwicker (German for noble blend). Edelzwicker wines have a pretty variable quality and most of the times far from being noble, for this reason many producers prefer not to use this term in their wines made of many grapes, while making use of the most generic appellation Alsace AOC.

 The highest qualitative level for Alsatian wines is represented by the Alsace Grand Cru AOC appellation. Despite this appellation has been source of arguments and debates - both on the areas included in the appellation as well as on quality - it is however undeniable the best wines belong to this appellation. The production disciplinary set stricter rules, lower cultural yields and the exclusive use of the so called noble varieties: Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Muscat Blanc and Pinot Gris. Alsace Grand Cru AOC wines can only be produced in one of the 50 legally recognized areas by the disciplinary and it must be mentioned in the label. This appellation was introduced in 1975 and in 1983 were defined the first 25 areas recognized as Grand Cru. Three years later were added other 23 areas and now they are 50. The introduction of Grand Cru area was cause of long and harsh debates, both on the real quality of the producers in some areas, as well as for the exclusion or inclusion of certain areas.

 Labels of Alsatian wines, as opposed to the ones of other French wine areas, mention the name of the grape with which they were made as well as other information which need to be understood. Some information written in the label define the specific style of the wine, others indicate the real - or presumed - quality of wine. The most famous indications for Alsatian wines are Vendange Tardive and Sélection de Grains Nobles. Vendange Tardive wines - literally “late harvest” - are being produced with grapes harvested some weeks later than the regular time of harvesting, whereas Sélection de Grains Nobles wines - literally “selection of noble berries” - are produced with grapes affected by Botrytis Cinerea - the famous noble rot - and therefore these are sweet and rich wines as well as rare. In labels of Alsatian wines can also be found the terms Sélection, Réserve and Special Cuvée generally used for wines of particular value and of high quality.

 The wine region of Alsace is located in the north-western part of France, in the hills located in the eastern side of Vosges mountain, along the course of Rhine river to the border of Germany. Alsace is a strip of territory about 110 kilometers long (about 70 miles) and it is divided into two departments: to the north - near Strasbourg - is located the Bas-Rhin (Lower Rhine) whereas to the south is found Haut-Rhin (Upper Rhine). North-West from the main area is found the province of Lorraine in which are defined the appellations of Vin de Moselle and Côtes de Toul. Most of vineyards are found in the Haut-Rhin where they benefit from a better exposition to sun rays and more favorable climate conditions. The production in Alsace is mainly oriented to white wines - about 82% of total production - 8% of red and rose wines and the remaining 10% of sparkling wines. The grapes mainly cultivated in Alsace are white and only four of them are considered noble: Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Muscat Blanc and Pinot Gris. The other typical white berried grapes of the region are: Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner, Auxerrois, Chasselas, Klevner and - in small quantities - Chardonnay. The main red berried grape is Pinot Noir, however in the Les Côtes de Toul appellation are also produced red wines with Gamay grape.

 Most of the times - when Alsatian wines are mentioned - it is believed the production is essentially oriented to sweet wines or wines with an appreciable sweetness because of residual sugar. Indeed most of Alsatian wine is dry, even the one produced with late harvested grapes, the renowned Vendanges Tardive. The most prestigious wines of Alsace are produced with Riesling grape. In Alsace Riesling is pretty sensitive to local conditions of vineyard, probably more than in any other place. In order to give its best, Alsatian Riesling needs impeccable environmental conditions; when produced in areas lacking these requisites, the wines are pretty ordinary. Another famous wine of Alsace is Gewurztraminer whose characteristics are very typical and personal, rarely found in Gewürztraminer produced in other areas of the world. The rich organoleptic qualities of fruit found in Alsatian Gewurztraminer usually make these wines to apparently taste sweet, indeed they are dry wines, with the exception of late harvest in which it is found a part of residual sugar.

 Another celebrity of Alsace is Pinot Gris - locally also known as Tokay Pinot Gris which does not have any connection neither with Hungarian Tokaji nor with its grapes - a wine that, as opposed to the ones produced in other areas of the world, has a higher structure and a more rich aromatic quality. As opposed to other wine areas of the world, in Alsace wines produced with Muscat Blanc are usually dry. Here are found two varieties of Muscat: Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains - also known as Muscat d'Alsace - and Muscat Ottonel. Muscat d'Alsace has a higher structure with strong aromas of flowers and citrus fruits, whereas Muscat Ottonel is lighter and more aromatic. These two grapes are generally considered complementary and often blended together for the production of wines. The result is an extremely aromatic dry wine with aromas and flavors of peach, citrus fruits and musk. Among the white grapes not defined as noble, the most renowned one is Pinot Blanc with which are being produced pleasing white wines and most of the times blended with Auxerrois grape.

 Two great Alsatian wines - as well as rare - are the Vendange Tardive and Sélection de Grains Noble, both exclusively produced in exceptional years - most of the times one or two times every ten years - which represent less than 1% of total production. Vendange Tardive - produced with late harvested grapes and abbreviated as VT - can be either dry and slightly sweet, very concentrated and with an appreciable acidity. Grapes used for the production of Vendange Tardive are generally harvested after about two weeks from regular vintage and can also be affected by Botrytis Cinerea. Sélection de Grains Nobles - abbreviated as SGN - are sweet wines exclusively produced with grapes affected by noble rot. These wines represent an incredible sensorial experience, with a perfect balance between acidity and alcohol, extremely concentrated with very high organoleptic intensity and long persistence.

 Because of the difficulty with which the Botrytis Cinerea develops in Alsace, its presence in vineyards is not ensured every year, therefore the production of Sélection de Grains Nobles is pretty variable - and however in small quantities - and in some year their production is not possible at all. The production of these wines is very hard: the harvesting of grapes is a patient work done in the vineyard where are being harvested and selected - hence the name - only the berries affected by the noble rot. The other berries will be harvested later and used for the production of Vendanges Tardive. Crémant d'Alsace are sparkling wines produced with the classic method, just like all the other French Crémant sparkling wines. They usually are produced with Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois, Pinot Noir and - frequently - Chardonnay. The introduction of Chardonnay in Alsace is pretty recent and its use is officially allowed in the production of Crémant d'Alsace only. It seems this rule is not fully obeyed and that small quantities of Chardonnay are being added to other wines in order to increase body.

 Whenever important grapes are being mentioned, most of the times are the French ones - the so called international grapes - to be mainly remembered, indeed even in Italy - among the many and good grapes of this country - there is one grape that since more than a century belongs to this narrow and prestigious category. Nebbiolo - whose wines are frequently defined as “wines of the kings” as well as “king of wines” - is almost and exclusively associated to its homeland - Piedmont and in particular Langhe - however it is also found in other regions of northern Italy and, marginally, in other countries of the world. The main representatives of this grape certainly are Barolo and Barbaresco - two wines which owe their fame and quality both to their areas of origin and to Nebbiolo - as well as wines from Valtellina in Lombardy and the ones from the northern part of Piedmont and Vallée d'Aoste.

 The Nebbiolo grape originated from Piedmont and despite it is not the most cultivated grape in terms of quantity, it certainly is the most precious and celebrated one of this region. There are written documents about Nebbiolo dated back to 1200's and it is however certain this grape was known in ancient times; moreover it was probably mentioned by Pliny the Elder as well. The origin of its name certainly comes from the word nebbia (Italian for fog), a meteorological condition frequent in Piedmont during autumn when harvesting takes place. Nebbiolo is therefore a grape reaching full ripeness - and therefore it is ready for harvesting - when in autumn, frequently after the half of October, vineyards are covered by fog. Indeed Nebbiolo is a variety which ripens later in regard to other varieties, another factor which certainly confirms the origin of its name.

	A bunch of Nebbiolo grape

 Nebbiolo is a pretty “bizarre” and exacting grape in terms of environmental and climate conditions, a characteristic which probably limited its spreading beyond the borders of Piedmont and however of Italy. Even in Piedmont its cultivation is pretty limited as well as limited are the areas in which this grape is capable of giving its best for the production of great wines. Because of its relatively late ripening, Nebbiolo is generally cultivated in hills facing towards south or south-west in which the type of soil plays a role of primary importance. Nebbiolo prefers soils rich in limestone and marl sediments - such as the ones in some areas near Barolo, Barbaresco and Alba - capable of developing in wines complex aromas and an excellent balance between acidity and tannins. In case it is being cultivated in sandy soils - such as the ones in the Roero area - the wines get a more delicate, smooth and less harsh character.

 Despite Nebbiolo is a pretty ancient grape cultivated in Piedmont since many centuries, its success is strictly connected to Barolo and, more precisely, to the recent history of Barolo. Until the half of 1800's wines produced with Nebbiolo grape - because of low temperatures typical of the harvesting time which interrupted fermentation - had a pretty sweet taste, very distant from the renowned wines of those times, such as the ones produced in Bordeaux and Bourgogne. Around the half of 1800's Marquise Giulietta Falletti of Barolo asked the famous French wine maker Louis Oudart, called in the Langhe area by Count Camillo Benso of Cavour, to improve the wines of her cellar. After a brief investigation, the famous wine maker individuated the cause in the approximate production techniques: the fermentation process could not come to an end and therefore the wine remained unstable, with a sweetish flavors and to be drunk as soon as possible. His results convinced Cavour to ask Oudart for his intervention in the cellar at his castle at Grinzane and even King Vittorio Emanuele II converted his hunting lodge in Fontanafredda, at Serralunga d'Alba, to the production of this new wine. Barolo was born, the wine which made famous both Piedmont and Nebbiolo, an event which gave a strong impulse to the modern Italian enology.

 Since then, the production of Barolo - and of wines made of Nebbiolo - has evolved and changed according to modern technologies as opposed to the ones of the past. This led to the formation of two schools of thought - in particular in Piedmont - generally defined as traditionalists and modernists. Traditionalists support the idea Nebbiolo, and in particular Barolo, should be made according to traditional principles by allowing long fermentation and aging times for three or four years in large casks of Slovenian oak or chestnut wood. Modernists support the idea Nebbiolo must be aged in French oak barriques in order to make it smoother and less harsh, and in the aim of making it a more immediate wine, fresh as well as keeping its fruity character. These two new visions of making Nebbiolo have also been the origin of many followers for one or the other school of thought, sometimes cause of strong debates and arguments not only among producers but also among consumers. The vision of “traditionalists” and of “modernists” are also visible in the wine appearance, where in the first case it shows paler colors and higher transparencies, and in the second case the intensity of color is higher and the transparency is lesser.

 Despite the spreading of Nebbiolo is pretty limited, in every area in which it is being cultivated it is called with a characteristic name: in the northern area of Piedmont - in particular at Carema - and in the Vallée d'Aoste, Nebbiolo is called Picutener, whereas in the areas of Gattinara and Ghemme it is called Spanna. In Valtellina - Lombardy - the Nebbiolo grape used for the renowned red wines of the area is called Chiavennasca. Nebbiolo is known to have three clonal varieties: Lampia, Michet and Rosé. The most famous one of the three is Lampia, whereas Michet is the Lampia variety affected by a virus which causes the bifurcation of branches. The Michet variety tends to a lower yield and its grapes have more intense and aromatic qualities, however it has a lesser capacity of adaptation in different soil types. The Rosé is rapidly declining because of its lesser coloring capacity with the result of producing pretty pale wines. Quality wines produced with Nebbiolo have a high acidity and alcohol, as well as a high quantity of tannins: all these factors ensure long aging times, frequently more than twenty years.

 Nebbiolo grape does not have huge quantities of colorants, therefore in its wines it will be hardly possible to see extremely intense colors and low transparencies. Nebbiolo can be considered as a grape having an average coloring capacity, moreover the color of its wines strongly depends on the way they were produced. In wines produced according to the traditional method, that is with long maceration times and long aging times in Slovenian oak casks or chestnut wood, the color is pretty pale and the aspect is transparent, with garnet red hues and sometimes brick orange. In Nebbiolo wines produced with modern systems, the extraction of color is greatly encouraged and the transparency is lower. Wines produced with Nebbiolo grapes tend to change their color pretty rapidly and after few years it is possible to see evident nuances of brick orange, a color generally typical in wines which reached the apex of aging. This characteristic is to be considered normal for Nebbiolo, therefore - in this specific case - a wine showing a brick orange color must not be considered as “old”. It is useful to remember Nebbiolo generally has a remarkable capacity of aging which can also be more than twenty years.

 The aromas of wines made with Nebbiolo grape are pretty characteristic, however it is good to remember - as opposed to other varieties - these aromas can be easily covered by the use of new casks, in particular new barriques with strong toasting. The use of barrique with Nebbiolo is one of the subject from which originated many debates between modernists and traditionalists and according to the latter, the nature of Nebbiolo is strongly altered. Wines produced with this grape can be recognized in their youth because of the strong aromas of cherry, plum and - in particular - of violet, whereas with aging in bottle - and it is good to remember Nebbiolo can require even ten years to reach maturity - are being developed very complex aromas such as tar, truffle, mushrooms, leather and smoke. In the so called traditional Nebbiolo aged in large casks, the impact of aromas derived from wood is pretty low while favoring the typical qualities of these wines, whereas in modern Nebbiolo aged in barrique or small barrels, the aromas of vanilla and toasted - typically passed by wood - can sometimes cover the nature of Nebbiolo. As always it is a matter of balance and of personal taste: the use of wood is simply one of the many factors - and Nebbiolo is no exception - which contributes to the harmony and balance of a wine. It is however indisputable there are great traditional Nebbiolos as well as great modern Nebbiolos.

 In wines produced with grapes cultivated in cool areas or not having reached full ripeness, the aromas which mainly develop resemble flowers - in which it is found the typical violet - as well as aromas of fruit such as cherry, strawberry, raspberry; sometimes it can also be perceived the aroma of white pepper. In wines produced with Nebbiolo cultivated in warmer areas or with fully ripe grapes, it is found the typical aroma of violet, to which is added a pleasing aroma of rose, and aromas of fruit resembling black cherry or ripe cherry, plum and sometimes blackberry, as well as mineral aromas. Nebbiolo becomes particularly amazing after a proper time of aging in bottle. With aging the fruit aromas of Nebbiolo are transformed into rich jams, emerges the aroma of dried rose and violet. Time gives Nebbiolo other extremely complex and elegant aromas such as tar, leather, truffle, mushrooms and smoke, in which it is always possible to perceive its typical aromas of flowers and fruits.

 Nebbiolo shows its strong personality even in the taste. The wines produced with this grape are characterized by a strong acidity, are pretty alcoholic and rich in harsh tannins, however elegant and refined. These three qualities - combined together - ensure Nebbiolo wines very long aging times in bottle, most of the times more than twenty years. Nebbiolo makes wines of remarkable structure - in particular for the quantity of tannins - even though its appearance could make anyone think of the opposite. The aspect of Nebbiolo can look like a light wine, indeed after the first sip has been tasted, it is ready to reveal his power, most of the times surprising. The first impact is constituted by a pretty high acidity which only an adequate quantity of alcohol can keep in balance. Even astringency will be pretty evident, however in mature Nebbiolo this sensation will be milder and smoother, while keeping its nature and surprising elegance. Even in this case the high quantity of alcohol in these wines will be indispensable in order to obtain a perfect balance.

 Nebbiolo is mainly associated to Piedmont - its homeland - and despite it is not the most cultivated variety in terms of quantity, it certainly is the most important and renowned grape. The most emblematic wines produced with Nebbiolo have always been Barolo and Barbaresco, two wines which are strongly connected to the grape and to Piedmont. Barbaresco is usually considered as a more gentle and feminine version of Barolo, a wine which has always had the reputation of a more austere and masculine nature. Indeed this difference is not always confirmed by reality because the nature of the two wines is strongly influenced both by the environmental conditions of vineyards as well as by the production style. Whatever the difference, Barolo and Barbaresco are two magnificent wines, worth representatives of this grape. Nebbiolo is very common in the Langhe area, in the territory of Alba and in the Roero area and it is virtually found in every red wine of these areas. Wines produced in these areas - usually having a cost lesser than Barolo and Barbaresco - represent a very good reference point for understanding Nebbiolo and among the many are mentioned Nebbiolo d'Alba, Langhe Nebbiolo and Roero.

 Nebbiolo is also cultivated in the northern part of Piedmont and it is the main grape in Carema, Gattinara and Ghemme wines. Wines from Carema are produced with Nebbiolo only - here known as Spanna or Picutener - whereas in wines of Gattinara and Ghemme, Nebbiolo is usually blended with other local grapes. Other wines from Piedmont in which is found Nebbiolo include: Boca, Sizzano, Bramaterra, Canavese, Fara and Lessona. Outside the borders of Piedmont, Nebbiolo is found in Vallée d'Aoste - here known as Picoutener or Picotendro - in particular for the production of Donnas wines. Another important area for Nebbiolo is Valtellina - in the northern part of Lombardy - where the grape is known as Chiavennasca. In Lombardy Nebbiolo is also used in the Franciacorta area where it is being used - together with other grapes - for the production of red wines. Despite its magnificence, Nebbiolo did not spread outside Italy which in past times was introduced by emigrants in the American continent and in Australia. Nebbiolo is cultivated - although in limited quantities - in California and near San Juan in Argentina, and more marginally, at Victoria in Australia.

 Among the most famous monuments of the Apulia region - as well as of the world - there is the suggestive “Castel del Monte”, the renowned building with octagonal base which Frederich II of Swabia built in 1220 as his hunting lodge and today recognized as a worldwide heritage from UNESCO. The celebrity and the historical importance of this beautiful building is such that its image has been used in the back side of the one cent Euro coin issued by the Italian Republic. In Apulia, Castel del Monte does not only mean the suggestive building, in the world of enology is also synonym of wine and - in particular - it is an area of Denomination of Controlled Origin (DOC) of the region representing the “heel” of Italy. The octagonal shape of the famous monument was also used for the trademark of Torrevento winery located at Corato, in the province of Bari and not distant from the suggestive building.

Pasquale Carparelli and Francesco Liantonio, wine maker and chairman of Torrevento

 In the eighteenth century, not far from the renowned monument - exactly at “Torrevento” place - was built one of the most beautiful monasteries in stone of all North-Western Murgia. In 1949, when the monastery was not used anymore as a place of cult, it was purchased, together with the estate, by brothers Liantonio. In this place they established the family wine business and later it was called like the place in which is located Torrevento winery. The thick walls of the monastery - with a thickness of 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) - host the large cellar built in the rock of the ancient undergrounds of the monastery: here, at about 8 meters deep (26 feet) and in optimal conditions, are being aged Torrevento's wines. The building underwent important restoration works in order to allow a proper expansion as well as the introduction of new technologies, according to a precise plan of development and in the full respect of the original structure, as well as of the territory of Murgia and of the views of Castel del Monte area in which it is located.

 Recently at Torrevento they restored the ancient stable therefore transforming it into a welcoming wine tasting hall with stone walls, used to welcome tourists, clients and wine lovers. Torrevento is particularly involved in the production of wines with typical grapes of the Apulian enology. The mainly hilly nature of the Bari's northern Murgia - area in which are located the vineyards of the winery - as well as a favorable microclimate, make the ideal conditions for the cultivation of autochthonous white berried grapes, such as Bombino Bianco and Pampanuto, as well as the red berried ones, such as Bombino Nero and Nero di Troia. Today Torrevento winery owns an estate with a total acreage of 150 hectares (370 acres) all destined to viticulture and located in many areas of the territory. In “contrada Pedale” is being cultivated Nero di Troia grape - used for the production of “Castel del Monte Rosso Vigna Pedale” wine - as well as Bombino Nero and Montepulciano varieties destined to the production of Castel del Monte Rosato. In the vineyards near “contrada Pedale” are being cultivated the grapes used for the production of Kebir.

	Torrevento's wine tasting hall

 In the vineyards located in the Andria area are being cultivated the varieties Nero di Troia, Aglianico, Bombino Bianco and Pampanuto. In the vineyards of Torrevento are also cultivated the grapes Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Moscato Reale. Besides the wines of Castel del Monte area, Torrevento also makes other products such as Salice Salentino Rosso, made with Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera grapes, and purchases Verdeca grapes - cultivated according to organic agriculture principles - for the production of Puglia Bianco Proemio wine, Nero di Troia and Montepulciano - still from organic agriculture - for Castel del Monte Rosso Proemio wine. Torrevento also distributes the wines of I Pàstini winery - of which is also the productive headquarter - run by Carparelli brothers. I Pàstini winery owns vineyards for about an acreage of 10 hectares (about 25 acres) in which are being cultivated Verdeca, Bianco d'Alessano and Fiano Minutolo grapes used for the production of Locorotondo white wine.

 In some rented vineyards, Carparelli brothers cultivate Primitivo grape - with which is produced the red Primitivo del Tarantino - Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Montepulciano used for the red wine Murgia Rosso. The I Pàstini winery also produces - in limited quantities - the sweet red “Elogio alla Lentezza” with Aleatico grape. The winery of Carparelli brothers is also involved since many years to the revaluation of ancient grapes of the area - a work started with a scrupulous selection and began in 2000 - by searching the territory in the communes of Locorotondo, Martina Franca, Alberobello and Cisternino for Fiano Minutolo grape sprouts. These sprouts have been subsequently grafted in the vineyards of the property in order to resume their cultivation and in order to make wine. From the result of this selection and of the revaluation of this particular variety, I Pàstini produces “Vigna Rampone”, an interesting wine with good personality in which are found intense aromatic qualities of grape and peach.

 Today Torrevento winery is present - besides the Italian market - also in all the countries of the European Community, United States of America, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong and Japan. Dr. Francesco Liantonio - chairman of Torrevento - is in charge for the management, whereas the technical aspects of the winery are run by wine maker Pasquale Carparelli. The production of Torrevento is wide and interesting, with wines of good quality in respect of local enological traditions. Particularly interesting is the last wine created by the winery from Corato - Kebir - produced with Nero di Troia and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in equal parts and aged for 12 months in barrique. Also good is Castel del Monte Vigna Pedale, agreeable and well made, as well as Moscato di Trani “Dulcis in Fundo”, pleasing with a balanced sweetness. Among wines produced by I Pàstini winery are worth of note Fiano Minutolo Vigna Rampone and Locorotondo Bianco.