Thursday, August 7, 2014

5 Summer Piedmont wines

Relaxing in the shade of a statue in Turin 
After a relatively cold and humid July, summer has finally arrived in Turin too. 

The Italian Burgundy, Piedmont is renowned for its full-bodied red wines and sparkling whites, but let’s see what’s more suitable on these summer Wine Wednesdays and ThrowbackThursdays.

Scent, aroma, texture and body play an important role even for regular drinkers; so, let’s open the Piedmont cellar and let’s see what the best 5 summer wines are like!






Freisa (red)

There are different variants of Freisa. As this vine is also cultivated in Turin's urban villa - Villa della Regina, near downtown, it can easily be considered Turin's wine.

Freisa d'Asti though is always pleasant in these hot summer days thanks to its:
- light alcohol content: 11 %
- cherry red with purple reflexes
- raspberry and rose scent
- it's often frizzante or sparkling
it can be served at 15C/60F and paired with summer dishes. Here in Piedmont we usually have vitel tonne': cold veal roast topped with a tuna flavored mayo.
Naturally, also all the other Freisa variants are good too:P





Arneis (white)


Roero Arneis DOCG has a delicate yellow color with green hues, an intense scent of flowers and fruits. Its structure is soft and light and its acidity adds that fresh accent we all crave for during the dog days of summer.
It is perfect with salads, pasta dishes, risottos and vegetables in general!

Yes, in Italy we do care a lot about our food and we select our wines according to our menu.
We admit it: we socially eat and drink at the same time ;)







Bonarda (red)

With its deep ruby red color and intense nutty scents in contrast with its dry flavor, Bonarda is another summer favorite!

This is a lightly tannic wine, often bubbly that can be served at 15C/60F and paired with fruit, cured meats, pasta and many other foods.
Ever had prosciutto e melone?

Prosciutto and cantaloupe roses



















Moscato d'Asti DOCG (white)

This is one of those happy sparkly wines that goes down easily and quickly: it's fresh, sweet and nicely cold!
How to resist??

It has a greenish color, its compact and creamy foam is very aromatic and you can detect scents of musk, sage, citrus fruits and rose notes.
Even though this is a sweet wine, its good acidity will give you a nice refreshing feeling!

If you drink it on its own, make sure to be surrounded by friends and you'll make memories. If you are eating something too, pair it with desserts and fruits;)




Brachetto (red)

We end our summer wine selection with lovely Brachetto:
- ruby red
- persistent foam
- intense and aromatic bouquet
- sweet and delicate

Its effervescence enhances its sweet notes but the tannin gives it a dry pleasant finish.
This is another social wine, best paired with pastries, gelato and desserts. It perfectly matches vanilla and chocolate ;) and especially Brachetto d'Acqui is usually easy to find :D


Brachetto



  Now you know what to drink during the hot days and nights of summer!





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