Piedmont, literally meaning "foot mountain" is a region in northwest Italy, border by France to the west, the Alps to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the south it is situated perfectly to create amazing wines of both power and finesse! While grapes have been grown in the region for thousands of years, Piedmont is relatively new in the world of fine wines in the world, with some of their great wines only being known for about a hundred year, just a teenager in wine time!

Piedmont really has a split in personality for what it is most known, to start you have the serious age worthy wines made from a grape called Nebbiolo, chief among them are Barolo and Barbaresco. These wines make wines that are truly top notch. If you like power that comes through powerful tannins and robust flavors, Barolo is for you. Enjoy something a bit more elegant with red fruit and floral notes, try a Barbaresco! The wines of these two villages can win for decades and many believe they get better with time!

The other end of the Piedmontese spectrum is one of the most popular easy drinking wines out there, Moscato d'Asti. Yep, the same people who bring you bold powerful wines also make this slightly fizzy sweet wine that is perfect for a summer day or as an aperitif for your next party. While some people think Moscato is the kind of wine you start your wine journey with and "graduate" from, we believe it is a wine that more than holds its place at the table. Try it with some nice ripe cheese, or a strawberry cheesecake and tell us you don't agree!

While Nebbiolo based wines and Moscato may steal the spotlight in the region there are certainly other great wines to find. This week we'll also be exploring Gavi and Barbera. Gavi is fresh and crisp white wine that is lean and minerally. It is great with all things seafood, but we like it with a nice seafood stew or chowder! Barbera is one of those classic pizza wines. It is a well balanced red that is fruit forward and an easy drinker.

No matter what wines of Piedmont you are exploring we'd love to help you find them at your next stop into Crown!