Wine of Barolo of the Nebiolo Grape - Essay Example

?The Barolo Wine The Barolo wine is actually a product of Piedmont, Italy; it is made from Nebbiolo grape (Bespaloff 52). This kind of grape is knownto produce a good quality of wine. As compared to other wine grape varieties, it is bigger, darker, and more tannic (“Nebbiolo”). This means that it has an astringent taste. As such, when tasting the grape, one could experience the strong nature of the grape’s juice. Different people could actually have different interpretation of their tasting experience. Some utter that the grape’s juice is too strong. Others say it is soft and rich. In such case, the people’s reactions depend on their preference with regard to wine grape varieties. The grape’s name has actually two possible origins. The first thought is based on the grape’s appearance when it is fully ripe. When fully ripe, the grape gives a frosted or foggy look (“Nebbiolo”). The Italian term for fog is nebbia (“Nebbiolo”), thus, the name Nebbiolo. Nonetheless, it is also possible that the grape’s name is simply taken from the Italian word nobile which means noble (“Nebbiolo”). Irregardless of the two probable origins of the grape’s name, what is sure is that Nebbiolo is famous to be a good wine grape variety. It is even one of the grape varieties that is most treasured by wine growers not just in Italy but also in the different parts of the world. The Nebbiolo grape is actually hard to grow and cultivate according to vineyardists (“Nebbiolo”). A vineyardist could experience many problems growing the grape. Anyone interested is advised to be patient in taking care of Nebbiolo grapes. The reason of which is that this grape variety is very sensitive to both geography and soil (“Nebbiolo”). This implies that if the grape is grown in a different kind of soil, it is to be expected that the grape will not produce good quality fruits. This is the reason why Nebbiolo grapes in the market have different tastes. The type of soil could affect the grape’s tannin, body and acidity (“Nebbiolo”). This goes to say that Nebbiolo grapes are not easy to grow. Nonetheless, if a Nebbiolo grape is grown properly, it would surely produce the tastiest wine. The Barolo DOCG is internationally described as a highly tannic, strong and deep red wine (Julyan 108). It is made from one hundred percent Nebbiolo grape. The label DOCG means that is a wine of highest category. It also indicates that is both controlled and guaranteed by the Italian government (Nowak and Wichman 87). In buying such kind of wine, the buyer could be assured of the wine’s quality. In Italian, DOCG refers to Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita. In English, it means Controlled and Guaranteed Denomination of Origin (Nowak and Wichman 87). Wines in Italy are actually subjected to DOC appellation system (Katsigris and Thomas 262). In this system, wine products are labeled according to its level (DOCG being the highest grant). The labeling depends upon the result of the official taste test which is conducted by the Italian government before the wine is permitted to be sold in the market (Katsigris and Thomas 262). The system builds risks and incentives which encourage wine producers to make wines of good quality (Katsigris and Thomas 262). In this sense, the Italian government is strict with regard to their wine production process. This is to say that the wine-making process is a big issue in Italy. In another aspect, the Barolo DOCG is actually called as the “Wine of Kings and Kings of Wines” (Gibson 181). This implies that the Barolo wine is the best wine in Italy. The wine of such kind is known to have been barrelled for several years. To note, extended bottle aging actually affects that taste of the wine. Most often, wines which are barrelled for a minimum of two to three years offer a very good taste. Laws in Italy actually require Barolo wines to be aged in wood for at least two years (Bespaloff 58). Longer barrel gives the wine a woodier and mature taste (Bespaloff 58). Stated otherwise, the longer the wine is barrelled, the tastier it becomes. This characteristic makes the Barolo wine different from the other wines in the world. When one is to talk about Barolo wine, he or she could readily associate it with the terms rich and tasty or immediately think that the wine had been barrelled for certain years. In such case, the Italian government enforces regulations that could maintain the wine’s good quality as expected by the people. Surprisingly, the Italian government has lowered the required years in which the Barolo wine has to be in barrel. It is said to be one of the biggest changes in the DOC regulation system. Instead of two years as the minimum, the Barolo wines can now only be barrelled for at least one year before it could be sold. Also, the wine’s alcohol content has been modified to 12.5 percent from thirteen percent (Zraly 209). These changes have several implications. One could think that the demand for Barolo wine originating in Italy has substantially increased. Thus, the government decided to lower the required length of time for barrelaged. Nevertheless, lowering the years of barrelaged could also affect the wine’s image in the international market. The buyer could imply that the Barolo wine in the market now is not of the same quality as before. This means that the wine’s taste is not so good. Another development with regard to Barolo wines is the application of modern techniques to achieve faster wine aging. It has been noted that several wineries in Italy have started to apply modern ways in making their Barolo wines. This includes the utilization of small French oak barrels (Gibson 181). These barrels are used for wine aging. The process has been known to make the “Barolo wines more approachable in their youth” (Gibson 181). In a sense, the technique forces the wine to reach its desired age. It is contended that since an oak is porous in nature, an evaporation process takes place “as the wine passes time” (Slinkard). This phenomenon makes the wine aging faster. In the traditional way, the Barolo wines are just put into a certain barrel and are permitted to achieve maturity by completing the fermentation process for several years. Notably, Barolo wines which are produced in the traditional style have greater longevity and offer a more tannic taste (McCarthy and Ewing-Mulligan 172). On the other hand, new-style Barolo wines are fruitier and oaky in taste (McCarthy and Ewing-Mulligan 172). Works Cited Bespaloff, Alexis. “Italian Reds: Diverse and Distinctive.” New York Magazine 12 Oct. 1980: 51-52. Print. Bespaloff, Alexis. “Nebbiolo: Italy’s Classic Grape.” New York Magazine 12 Mar. 1979: 58-60. Print. Gibson, Michael. The Sommelier Prep Course: An Introduction to the Wines, Beers, and Spirits of the World. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, 2010. Print. Julyan, Brian. Sales and Service for the Wine Professional. London: Cengage Learning EMEA, 2008. Print. Katsigris, Costas, and Chris Thomas. The Bar and Beverage Book. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, 2006. Print. McCarthy, Ed, and Mary Ewing-Mulligan. Wine for Dummies. Indiana: For Dummies, 2006. Print. “Nebbiolo.” Professional Friends of Wine. Professional Friends of Wine, 10 Oct. 2001. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. . Nowak, Barbara, and Beverly Wichman. The Everything Wine Book. Massachusetts: Everything Books, 2005. Print. Slinkard, Stacy. Wine and Oak. About.com, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. Zraly, Kevin. Windows on the World Complete Wine Course: 25th Anniversary Edition. New York: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., 2009. Print. Read More