January 4, 2026

Torino, Italy

It is beginning to be annoying. While I continue to feel better each day, this cold, flu or sinus condition just won’t leave me alone. I was up early again this morning, about 02:30. Again, tried as I might, I couldn’t go back to sleep.

We have an appointment for a wine tasting class at 11:00. Harry V & Ali went out this morning; we just chilled in the apartment. Just before 11:00 we left to go to the vine tasting. We are going to Culture Liquida, a small shop on Via Giuseppe Mazzini, just a few blocks away. Serra & Pietro have been here before and had nothing but high praise for the woman who runs it.

We are going to learn about Piedmontese wines. The Piedmontese area, or the province of Piedmont, boats over 350 authorized varieties of grapes. Including famous reds like Nebbiolo (Barolo, Barbaresco), Barbera, Dolcetto, and Brachetto, alongside whites such as Cortese (Gavi), Arneis, Moscato Bianco, and Erbaluce, showcasing a wide spectrum of flavors from crisp and citrusy to robust and spicy. While many are grown, about a dozen key varieties dominate the important wines, with many others contributing to the region's DOC/DOCG status. There are around 19- 20 DOCGs (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) and 41-42 DOCs (Denominazione di Origine Controllata), more than any other Italian region. 

What exactly is the meaning of DOCG or DOC? They are wine classifications set by – wait for it – the producers in cooperation with the government. So, basically it is a marketing ploy wrapped up in a government mandated program. Now, people will argue that DOCG “signifies Italy's highest wine classification, guaranteeing strict production rules, origin, and quality through state-mandated taste tests, chemical analysis, and a numbered government seal, assuring authenticity and traditional standards.” The same people will argue that “it protects Italian wine heritage by linking quality to specific regions. Other will argue the rules can stifle innovation. And that great wines can be and are, labeled under broader categories like IGT. 

IGT  men Indicazione Geografica Tipica is the Italian wine classification for wines from a specific geographical area, offering more flexibility than stricter DOC/DOCG rules, often used for high-quality, non-traditional wines (like Super Tuscans) or those using international grapes, representing a step above basic table wine but below controlled designations. IGT wines must come from the stated region and follow some basic rules (yield, alcohol) but allow producers to innovate with grape varieties and styles, making them a popular category for quality, expressive wines. 

The base of the pyramid, and the one on which all the others stand, is VdT. VdT stands for Vino da Tavola or table wine. VdT is the most basic Italian wine designation, with minimal regulations, allowing grapes from anywhere in Italy and great winemaking freedom, often used for everyday drinking wines but sometimes by premium producers for flexibility, though labels typically show little info. It indicates simple, affordable wines for local consumption. I.e. wines that Italians drink. Hey, if it is good enough for everyday Italians, well it is good enough for me.

It is probably obvious, but we eat out a lot when we are here. One, it is easier than cooking in an AirB&B or rented apartment with limited utensils. Two, here it isn’t over expensive to eat out. When we do eat out, we tend to order vino da tavola or vino della casa. Usually, vino rosso della casa. Usually, a liter is round than €5. In tourist traps you will find it for two or even three times as much for a glass.

So, how was the class? We tasted four different wines, ok five different wines. The opening introduction was a glass of Alta Langa. Alta Langa is a DOCG reserved sparkling wine made using the classic. It is a combination of Pinot Noir and/or Chardonnay grapes grown in the hilly areas if Piemonte. In fact, it grown in one-hundred-forty-nine different communities. So much for exclusivity! Ok, enough bitching about marketing. This was a very good light sparkling wine and a good opener.

The second wine was Roero Arneis DOCG, Pelassa 2024. Pelassa referees to the winemaker. This wne uses 00% Arneis grapes which come primarily from vineyards located in the San Vito district of Montà d'Alba, which is to the southeast of Torino. The nice lady running the class, who is a sommelier, described the wine as having an intense straw yellow color; delicate, complex, and persuasive floral aromas of broom and chamomile with subtle hints of honey and white-fleshed jams. On the palate, it is dry and harmonious, with a pleasant acidity that adds freshness and persistence. Its natural minerality, typical of Arneis from Montà d'Alba, is particularly distinctive. Due to its complexity, Roero Arneis has often been described as a white Barolo.

Now, again, for me this is all in the marketing. Two people, probably even two different sommeliers, will describe it slightly differently. The point is you like it or you don’t.  Generally, the group liked the wine. We all thought it would be good in the summer with Grandma Madge’s cold pasta and shrimp salad. The official though was that this wine “pairs well with any meal. It pairs well with appetizers and fish dishes; excellent served as an aperitif.” We all seemed to agree with that.

The next wine from also from Cantina Pelassa. A 2022 Barbera D’Alba DOC. This particular wine has a minimum age of 24 months, 12 months in barrels, tonneaux, and 12 months in bottle. Ok, it is agreed that the term tonneaux had little or n meaning to most of us."Tonneau," or the plural "tonneaux," is a French term derived from the Latin "tunna," which translates as "barrel" or "container." “Tonneaux" are wooden barrels, originally from the Bordeaux area of France but now widespread throughout the world, used for aging wine.

These containers were originally "double barriques," or barrels with a capacity double the 225 liters typical of barriques. Tonneaux, in fact, typically have a capacity of 500 liters. In reality, depending on the wine-growing region, the term "tonneaux" refers to barrels with capacities exceeding 500 liters, up to at least 700 liters. Therefore, generally speaking, a wooden barrel with a capacity between 500 and 700 liters falls into the "tonneaux" category.

As with any other barrel used for wine maturation, tonneaux can be made from various types of wood. The most commonly used are Slavonian oak and French oak, belonging to the large oak family, native, respectively, to Slavonia, a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia, and France, in the Massif Central area.

While it is probably true that aging wine in oak barrels changes the taste of the wine, using obscure terms, like tonneaux, is mostly just a marketing thing. Pietro and Serra’s wine is aging in tonneaux, a 500 liter wooden barrel in the Valtellina as this is being written. It should be ready to bottle this fall.

This barbera is produced using 100% barbera grapes. It is a very dark ruby red color. The fancy words used to describe it were: “complex and intense bouquet, with ripe berry fruit mixed with a pleasant hint of vanilla; rounded, harmonious, and very complex on the palate. With excellent persistence and flavor, this wine is exceptionally fine and classy.” All of which is probably true. The point is the group liked it. Everyone seemed to think it would pair well with fresh pasta, roasted red and white meats, game, and spicy cheeses.

Next was 2019 Barolo DOCG Castello di Perno. Castello di Perno's Barolo isn’t as inene in color as the Babera. It is however, an elegant red wine made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes. The grapes are grown on the hills of Monforte d'Alba in Piedmont. Vinification begins with destemming, followed by 48 hours of cold maceration. Fermentation is spontaneous and is accompanied by approximately 30 days of maceration at a controlled temperature. The wine is then aged for 24 months in large Austrian oak barrels before being bottled in August for further aging in the bottle. Generally people seemed to like the barbera better.

The last wine was a dessert wine, a 2024 Moscato D’Ast DOC by Fabio Perrone. Fabio Perrone's Moscato d'Asti Cascina Galletto is the winery's signature wine, produced since the 1960s. It is produced from the moscato grape variety and it has a 6% alcohol content. Hey, I like dessert wines, and this one was particularly nice.

After the wine tasting we walked around the corner to Crocca on Via dei Mille for lunch. Mary ordered a “Bufalina” pizza, a simple pizza with tomatoes sauce, buffalo mozzarella, EVO olive oil, and basil. Luisa and I chose the polpette, beef meat balls in a tomato sauce. Pietro ordered a tagliere di salumi cone pane bruschettato for the table. There is no recollection of what Serra, Pietro & Ali ordered. It wasn’t pizza, and probably had green stuff on the plate.

We ate lunch and then split into three groups. Ali & Harry V went off in one direction, shopping no doubt. Pietro, Serra and the girls in another direction. Mary & I returned to the apartment. There was laundry to be done, and packing that was needed. Probably also a nice little nap and a game of cards.

We did a couple loads of wash for Harry V and Ali. By the time our things were dry, it was time to hang up Harry & Ali’s things. We had some salmi and cheese for dinner, played a game of cards, then it was time to call it a night and we did.

Buonanotte e ciao

Enrico e Maria