There are several wine-producing areas in southern Piemonte, two of the chief of which are Langhe and Roero. Lange, on the right bank of the Tanaro River, produces, among other wines, Barbaresco and Barolo. Roero is across the river. It is known for the white wine Arneis, but among other wines also produces a softer, more feminine expression of Nebbiolo. It was to Canale, in Roero, that we headed yesterday morning.
Our destination: the Deltetto Winery in Canale. Here, Tony Deltetto has been crafting still wines from Barbera, Nebbiolo and Arneis varieties for forty years as well as, for the past 18 years, sparkling wines from Pinot Nero (Noir) and Chardonnay. He has been joined by his son, Carlo.
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| Carlo Deltetto |
Though Deltetto produces a wide range of wines, yesterday's visit focused on their sparkling wine production, which uses the "methodo classico" method (the same way Champagne is produced) versus the tank method (used in the production of Prosecco). The essential difference between the two is that the first entails a second fermentation and aging in individual bottles. Carlo explained all of this as he gave us a tour of their winery and cellars. This was followed by a tasting in which we tasted ten (!) different vintages of their sparkling wines made in blends of varying percentages of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
After the tasting was completed, Carlo and Tony joined us for lunch at Osteria dell'Enoteca in Canale where we had a fantastic lunch accompanied by a number of still wines produced by Deltetto.
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| Suzanne Hoffman and Chef Davide Palluda |
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| Fellow guest Talei Broom (no relation, but a great name) and me |
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| Tony Deltetto and me |
Our day was capped yesterday evening with a visit to Michelin-starred restaurant Marc Lanterei Ristorante al Castello di Grinzane Cavour, located in the castle of Cavour. It was a beautiful evening, the heavy clouds that have hung over the region clearing as we made our way there.
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| Our hosts for the evening: Chef Marc Lanteri and his wife (also a chef), American Amy Bellotti. |
Upon stepping out into the night air following dinner, we saw the castle bathed in light and, in the eastern sky, a spectacular full moon rising over the hills of the Langhe. It couldn't possibly have been a more picture-perfect moment.
Your posts are wonderful, Joseph. Thank you for chronicling the tour for us. Everyone has been loving the photos, especially the wine producers and chefs! Mom is gonna miss her ragazzi!
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