If you are ever interested in learning more about a specific wine region or varietal, grab a group of friends and host a themed wine tasting.  A couple of coworkers and I started a monthly tasting group to do just this so we could learn more about tasting through focused study.  Our first tasting was Pinot and last night we had our second, focusing on wines from the Piedmont region of Italy. 

Varietals from this region, which is located in the area surrounding Alba bordering France, include Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, Dolcetto and Arneis (to name a few).  Our meetings focus around dinner and blind tasting. 

Each person brings a bottle, and upon arrival it is immediately poured into a numbered decanter by the host, who gets a completely different experience of the blind tasting because they know what is being served.  I have been really excited about this tasting ever since the theme was chosen because these unique wines are not easily accessible or inexpensive. 

Nebbiolo is the grape of the Barolos and Barbarescos and rarely is it seen grown outside of Piedmont (though we actually produce a Nebbiolo from the Stolpman Vineyard).  It is so easy for me to get sucked into only drinking California wines, especially Santa Barbara wines, because they are familiar and easy to get. 

When learning about wine it is so important to focus on specifics and have a comparison level for what you are drinking.  Don’t just drink wines because they are familiar and easy to get your hands on, but do some research, go to your local wine store, ask your wine snob friend to show off his knowledge, and try something new.

Eleven decanters lined up next to each other (all full of red wines) on the kitchen counter is quite a sight.  These wines, although characteristically concentrated and tannic are lighter in color than I would have expected, almost like an older Burgundy.  One by one we tasted and talked about the wines, remaining surprisingly focused the entire time. 

All of the wines exhibited dry, mouth puckering tannins, gripping mouth feel, and aromas of dehydrated ripe fruit, truffles, and concentrated liquorice.  Barrel and subsequent bottle aging allows the tannins to soften and makes for a more approachable wine.  It was interesting to see how time can allow this to happen and be able to detect this softness.  Long lingering, astringent finishes showed unique complexities coating the entire mouth and sides of the tongue.

The food of the night was perfect for the wines, including grilled rosemary lamb with truffle butter, vegetarian meatballs (whose acidic tomato sauce went perfectly with the slight acidity characteristic of Italian wines), Bagna Cauda, and a selection of Fontina and Truffle cheeses. 

Truffles seemed to appear everywhere - in the wine, in the oil drizzled over the grilled vegetables, in the cheese, and in the butter used on the lamb.  Here is where the integration of food and wine contributes to transforming these parts into an experience.  Wine number three was the Santa Barbara Winery 04 Nebbiolo, and tasting it with the truffle cheese was an unbelievable pairing. 

The night felt very Italian not only in terms of the wine, but also the food, and most importantly sharing these things with friends and good company over a few hours.  I brought the wine that won the tasting - a 1997 Moccagotta Bric Balin Barbaresco.  It really stood out from the rest, and after each wine we tasted I said I still liked wine #2 the best (which turned out to be my wine).  So I guess that means dinner is at my house next time… Chateauneuf du Pape tasting?

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