Barolo for lunch #97
Three Italian tips
Hi friends! I bet some of you are taking the squeeze day off tomorrow, but lucky for us Systembolaget is not doing so. This weeks temporary assortment brings some nice wine, if you’re feeling rich, but a few decently priced bottles too. I’ve added a hack for buying Italian wine below too, so read on. Cheers! 🍷
La Spinetta Il Rosé di Casanova – #90076 – 169:-
Following up the very appreciated Barbera from last week with this one. One of the few rosés I tend to buy. This is almost closer to a very light red in flavor, with a nose that’s filled with red fruit but a solid backbone of grapefruit. Goes great with Ceasar Salad! 100% Sangiovese.
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco – #94226 – 399:-
Amazing wine, from the best cooperative in the world. Very very typical Barbaresco with notes of roses, cherry and black tear. Goes incredibly well with just about anything, but if I have to pick it would be a lamb ragú. 100% Nebbiolo.
PS: If you’re in to Italian wines I’d suggest that you look up Il Quadrifoglio Wine. Great selection, fast shipping and really great prices. For instance, the Barbaresco above is currently 25€. Not getting paid, just really appreciate their service.
Enjoying these posts? If you share Barolo for lunch with few friends, you’ll get access to my 20 best wines under 300 SEK or a personalized wine pairing 😋
Nerd zone: Barbaresco
Barbaresco is sometime referred to as the “queen” of Piedmont, with Barolo being the king. They are both really iconic wines though, and even though they have many similarities - both are made from Nebbiolo, with similar ageing restrictions - you can quite often tell them apart.
The difference mostly comes from the local terroir; climate and soil. Barbaresco’s vineyards are closer to the Tanaro River, which gives the area a slightly warmer and more humid climate, which helps the grapes to ripen earlier. The soils in Barbaresco are also generally more fertile and less compact than Barolo’s, which is also adds to the softer and more approachable style. All in all, the wines tend to be a bit lighter and more approachable than Barolo.
There was a time when Barbaresco was also a bit cheaper, but to be honest they are both pretty ridiculous in price so you need to do some digging to find the gems. One of the better options can be found above.