Top 10 Tips on… Nebbiolo

1. The king of the grapes and the grape of kings, according to the Italians. 2. Nebbiolo is a late-ripening red grape with high tannins and high acidity, both of which can preserve the best wines for decades. 3. Its name is a mystery with two main theories - ‘nebbia’ means ‘fog’ and its name may also have been inspired by the word ‘noble’. 4. It was first written about in 1266 and has been highly valued ever since. 5. It’s the great red grape of Piemonte in northwest Italy where it’s increasing in vineyard plantings and wine production. 6. Its most famous top quality wines are labeled Barolo and Barbaresco – both 100% varietal wines, made from the Nebbiolo grape. 7. There are few admired examples of Nebbiolo made elsewhere. 8. Small quantities are made in Australia, Argentina, California, Mexico, Oregon, Sardinia, and Washington. 9. It’s also used in small quantities in high quality, bottled fermented Italian wine labeled Franciacorta. 10. It’s also known as Chivavannasca, Picutener, and Spanna. Joelle Thomson is a wine writer, journalist, and author. She’s an avid lover of wine and currently writes for Capital magazine, Good magazine, NZ Winegrower, Drinksbiz, and her own site, www.joellethomson.com She also teaches, works in radio, and more, so we've enlisted her help to sniff out our amazing value wines!