Nebbiolo Grape
The Nebbiolo grape is extremely difficult to cultivate to its potential. While it is a thick skinned grape that is fairly resilient, its flavor and aroma profile can be thrown off very easily. Excessive rain, wind, or cold can ruin a harvest.
Nebbiolo needs a long growing season and plenty of sun exposure to fully develop its varietal characteristics. Complicating things further is the fact that some examples are harvested too ripe and given too much oak. This leads to aggressive wines. It likes calcareous soils, but climate seems to influence the grape more than geology.
Nebbiolo demands hearty fare and is enjoyed with stews, meats and dry cheeses. In addition to Piedmont and California, it is also grown in Lombardy, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, and Australia.
