You can’t go wrong with these affordable, delicious, and versatile Piedmont wines by top Barolo producers. See why below.

EINAUDI NEBBIOLO

• An excellent introduction to Barolo and Barbaresco
• Outstanding value from a historic winery
• Mostly from top vineyards in Barbaresco
• Easy to drink and pair, featuring inviting aromas of violet, cinnamon, nutmeg, and balsam
• Vinification and aging maintain Nebbiolo’s innate personality and feminine side
• Cellars well for up to about 10 years

Poderi Einaudi’s Nebbiolo wine is a “precious gem” of the winery, because it is easy to drink and has incomparable value. This is because it offers depth and aromatic complexity despite its lower price point. It is made from Nebbiolo grapes grown in Dogliani (about 20%) and in the Barbaresco growing zone, in a single vineyard called Bricco Micca (80%) in Neive, which is rich in white-gray marl and clay mixed with limestone. (Side note: Neive is on the Top Ten List of the Most Beautiful Towns in Italy).

It is immediate, easy to pair, with a wide array of different dishes and takes you straight back to Barbaresco and Barolo. This terroir gives Nebbiolo a rare femininity, with lovely floral aromas and long persistence. The sweet spice – cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove – on the nose reminds you of Christmas while notes of balsam balance them out with a fresh, clean feel. The tannins are subtle, clean, precise, and smooth. The wine’s few months aging in lightly toasted new and second-use French tonneaux helps maintain Nebbiolo’s inherent character. Maceration after fermentation in glass-lined concrete tanks lasts about two or three weeks. Harvested in late September.

Some liken it to a baby Barolo and that’s because it is easy to drink yet ageable but won’t break the bank while many of its characteristics – especially its tannins and aromatics, such as spice, florality and tertiary (if after time) – are reminiscent of a top Barolo.

MARCARINI LASARIN NEBBIOLO

• Approachable and immediate, with great drinkability
• Excellent value for a high-quality wine, made by top Barolo winery
• Easy to pair with the whole meal
• From young Nebbiolo for Barolo grapes, but with crisp, bright, and youthful aromas of rose petals and wild berries as well as fine tannins
• Signature structure from La Serra Cru
• Inherent characteristics preserved by winemaking

Marcarini Lasarin begins in top vineyards in Neviglie and especially La Morra. The grapes from the historic La Morra vineyard show lovely structure and are complemented by those from Neviglie, which are delicate and have a unique aromatic profile, thanks to the sandier soils.  The Nebbiolo grapes from La Morra are young and destined to become Barolo one day. Hence, you know they are cultivated with the utmost care and attention. The name Lasarin is a sort of nickname meaning “Little Greenhouse” as most of the grapes come from the La Serra Cru.

Lasarin Langhe Nebbiolo is vinified in only stainless steel. In this way, you can enjoy the essence of pure, clean, and fresh Nebbiolo in your glass – without any oaky influences.  The nose shows abundant aromas of flowers and wild berries while the palate is balanced, harmonious and velvety, with excellent tannins.  Lasarin Nebbiolo is great for people who are just getting to know Nebbiolo as it not only satisfies an array of palates, it makes for a great introduction to big brother Barolo.  According to Manuel Marcarini, it’s a sort of “Barolo in Blue Jeans,” thanks to its informal, friendly style and ability to respond to the needs of many palates, occasions, and dishes.