This week’s indigenous variety is Dolcetto, a grape most widely grown in Piedmont but also seen in Liguria under the name Ormeasco and in the Oltrepo’Pavese. It tends to make easy to drink, friendly red wines as well as wines that can age with a hint of almond and liquorice on the nose and palate. It is a grape that suffers from some of the maladies of the vine. Dolcetto is called Dolcetto because the grape itself is supposed to be somewhat sweet or “dolce” when eaten.

This variety is often blended with others such as Barbera. It tends to bring body to the wine. Dolcetto is part of many DOCs

My first wine from Piedmont was a Dolcetto di Dogliani from the Podere Luigi Einaudi. At the time the wine was a denominazione d’origine controllata (D.O.C.) wine but its status has now been elevated to denominazione d’origine controllata…

This week’s indigenous variety from Italy actually has its origins in Switzerland. The grape variety was made as a cross from Rouge de Diolly and Pinot Noir. It was created in 1970 by Andrea Jaquinet. The grape has now been allowed in both the Valle d’Aosta and the Trentino. I found that it is allowed in an interesting Indicazione Geografica Tipica (I.G.T.) called Mitterberg from the Bolzano area. The other grapes that are allowed in the Mitterberg white, rose and red wines are the following: Cabernet franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Diolinoir, Kerner, Lagrein, Malvasia N., Merlot, Moscato giallo, Moscato rosa, Petit Manseng, Petit Verdot, Pinot grigio, Pinot bianco, Pinot nero, Portoghese, Regent, Riesling italico, Riesling renano, Sauvignon, Schiava gentile, Schiava grigia, Schiava grossa, Sylvaner verde, Syrah, Teroldego, Veltliner, and Zweigelt.

I had never heard of Mitterberg until I started writing about this wine, or so I thought. Actually a fabulous…