L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 36 L'Italo-Americano Dolcetto: Easy Drinking and Versatile D olcetto is an indigenous Italian grape variety from the region of Piedmont that makes traditional, easy to drink red wines of incredible ver- satility at table. Dolcetto also grows in Sardinia and in Liguria, where it's known as Ormeasco. But as those terroirs deserve an article in their own right, we will focus here on Dolcetto in Piedmont. The name Dolcetto derives from the Italian for "little sweet one." That is not to imply that Dolcetto wines are sweet. They are not. Dolcetto wines are made dry. The name likely refers to the appreciation of Dolcetto as an excellent table grape. To more clearly understand what follows, it might help to know that Dolcetto is produced in several Piedmont appellations. Those delimited areas share geo- graphical space with other Piedmont varieties: Dolcetto, you might say, 'rubs elbows' with other wine grape varieties such as Barbera and Nebbiolo. "To find good Dolcetto, find a good Barolo producer," is advice I've heard many times. Good gui- dance which has proven someti- mes true, and sometimes not. The real truth in that advice derives in part from the way in which Piedmont's Barolo produ- cers have responded to the econo- mic realities of the Barolo and Barbaresco craze: simply said, the market demand for those wines, coupled with consumer willin- gness to pay ridiculously high pri- ces for them, have proven to be seductive temptation for wine producers. Plantings of Nebbiolo, the wine grape variety from which Barolo and Barbaresco are made, have increased, sometimes to include sites better suited to the earlier ripening Dolcetto. Unfortunately, the proposition hasn't always been a good thing for either variety. Though Dolcetto may be a "little sweet one" on the table, its viticultural misbehaviors can make it difficult to cultivate, tur- ning it into something more of a "little brat" in the vineyard. Dolcetto's delicate buds can be prone to breakage and the variety is happy to require some back breaking to work its low growing vines. It's rotten in excessive humidity. Literally. And Dolcetto can be finicky when outside tem- peratures swing too far hot or cold. In the cellar, Dolcetto is no less mischievous. The wine is prone to take on unpleasant odors if not managed correctly. And winemakers must cater to Dolcetto's naturally low acidity and high tannins, if the finished wine is to demonstrate the fresh- ness and aromatics for which Dolcetto is known. Of the Dolcetto-producing appellations in Piedmont, which most prominently include Dolcetto d'Alba, Dolcetto di Ovada, Dolcetto di Diano d'Alba, Dolcetto d'Acqui, Dolcetto d'Asti, Dolcetto di Dogliani - it's in the village of Dogliani that Dolcetto has traditionally held status as the most important wine grape. There, Dolcetto vines have been planted in the best plots, one reason, perhaps, why Dolcetto wines from Dogliani are comparatively riper and fuller in body. Ovada is another specialist Dolcetto producing area, whose wines are generally full bodied, tending toward a bit more rusti- city when compared to those of Dogliani. To generalize, Dolcetto wines from Dogliani seem more about freshness, power and perfume, while Dolcetto d'Alba wines could be said to be richer and lar- ger framed, with wines from other areas falling somewhere between lighter and the middle. More deeply colored than wines made from Barbera or Nebbiolo, Dolcetto smells of flowers, violets in particular, and tastes of juicy black fruit, often offering earthy impressions. Styles range from lighter and fruitier to muscular, barrel aged versions (somewhat outmoded at present, given the trend toward lighter reds). Dolcetto's low aci- dity gives its wines, in particular when they are young, good accessibility balanced by often sweet, silky tannins. With its low acid and ample tannins, the variety has proven a good blen- ding partner to Barbera, which is high in acid but less tannic, and Nebbiolo, which is lighter in color. I am surprised, especially in light of the pocket-emptying pri- ces of Barolo and Barbaresco, that Dolcetto hasn't been in grea- ter demand on the market, espe- cially by younger consumers looking for high quality wines with earlier accessibility and good value for money. To assist your exploration of Dolcetto, I recommend beginning with Dolcetto d'Alba, where you should seek out the wines of pro- ducers Vajra and Marcarini; and with Dolcetto di Dogliani, where you would do well to locate the wines of producers Chionetti and Einaudi. Dolcetto's drinkability and good tannins make it great com- pany to the hearty everyday foods which we all love. Enjoy it with eggplant parmigiana, pasta with rich meat sauces, stews, meat cutlets, salumi and cheeses, risotto, roasted chicken, grilled sausages, burgers, pizza. Tasting Note Luigi Einaudi Dolcetto di Dogliani DOCG Vibrant and intense, with a fullness of berry fruit, scents of forest floor. Well proportioned, supple body, notes of marzipan on pleasantly tannic finish. The name Dolcetto derives from the Italian for "little sweet one." That is not to imply that Dolcetto wines are sweet WINE NEWS TRENDS PROFILES JOEL MACK THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2017 Dolcetto's drinkability and good tannins make it great company to the hearty everyday foods which we all love

• Cover