February 7, 2020

VIETTI “Perbacco” Nebbiolo Langhe 2016

(Piedmont, Italy) $28

Who doesn’t love Barolo? (Made from nebbiolo grapes, it can seem like pinot noir’s edgy, handsome older brother). The only problem is price. The great Barolos are very limited in production and require one to hock the family jewels to afford them. But wines like Vietti’s Perbacco put nebbiolo within the realm of possibility. Of course, nebbiolo from the general Langhe area won’t have all the exquisite nuance of a great Barolo. But with a rich, meaty pasta Bolognese or with some great Italian cheeses, this wine shines. I love nebbiolo’s notes of tar, espresso, cola, sea salt, and that incredible hint of roses. It’s an unusual set of flavors and aromas, and you only get them together from this one grape. (14% abv)

90 points KM

Available at Vivino.com

The Sherry-producing region of Spain was once under Arabic rule.

Answer: True.

For almost 800 years during the Middle Ages, the region of Jerez (pronounced hare-ETH in Spanish) along the southwestern Andalusian coast was under Arabic rule. The Arabs called sherry Sekeris, although we should note that the region has had many names in its time. The Greeks called it Xera, the Romans, Ceret. Northern Spanish Castilians called it Xérès, and later Xérèz. By the late 1800s, Xérèz had become Jerez. Later, British wine importers corrupted the Spanish pronunciation of the region. After undergoing a series of evolutions, the English name became Sherry.

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VIETTI “Perbacco” Nebbiolo Langhe 2016

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