Giovanni Corino Dolcetto D'alba 2010

Winery: Giovanni Corino

Varietal: Dolcetto

Wineries in Italy and many other countries in the world have longed admired the Dolcetto grape, a black skinned varietal responsible for many interesting and intensely flavored wines. Despite their name translating as 'little sweet one' in Italian, the wines produced from this varietal are almost always dry, and benefit from the strong tannins held in the dense skins of the fruit. Although this characteristic normally results in a full bodied wine, Dolcetto grapes generally are responsible for producing quite light wines as a result of their low acidity, yet are packed full of interesting flavors such as liquorice and prunes, black cherries and almonds which are a delight to the palate and make them a great match for strongly flavored and spicy foods.

Region: Piedmont

The region of Piedmont in the cool, breezy north-western part of Italy is renowned throughout the world for high quality, flavorful and delicious red wines, and for the elegant and refined sparkling wines such as Asti which typify the area. The region is located at the foothills of the Alps, close to the French and Swiss borders, and benefits from some interesting micro-climates formed by its proximity to the mountain range. The key grapes for the fine red wines of Piedmont are Nebbiolo, Dolcetto and Barbera – all powerful varietals which are packed full of a range of fruit flavors and which have an affinity for oak making them ideal for aging When it comes to the sparkling Asti, wineries cultivate plenty of Moscato grapes, whose relative transparency make them ideal for expressing their terroir and providing some interesting flavors in the bottle.

Country: Italy

It isn't difficult to understand why Italy is famed not just for the quality of its wines, but also for the vast variety and range of characteristics found in the wines there. The terrain of the country varies wildly, from the lush rolling green hills and valley of Tuscany, to the sun drenched rocky coasts of Sicily, the mountainous and alpine regions of the north, and the marshy lowlands of the east. Italy really does have a little bit of everything. Combine this huge range of landscapes with an almost perfect climate for grape cultivation, and you have a country seemingly designed for viticultural excellence. The results speak for themselves, and it is clear to see that wine has become an inseparable part of Italian culture as a result of its abundance and brilliance. Each village, city and region has a local wine perfectly matched with the cuisine of the area, and not an evening passes without the vast majority of Italian families raising a glass of locally sourced wine with pride and pleasure.