Northern Piemonte: Alto Piemonte, Carema & Caluso

When wine lovers think of Piemonte, they usually think of Barolo and Barbaresco. Yet, in the late nineteenth century, Northern Piemonte had around 40,000 hectares of vineyards, while the Langhe and Roero together covered only about half that area. Disease, hailstorms, two World Wars and migration to the new industrial cities led to a dramatic decline. In recent decades, however, the region has enjoyed a remarkable renaissance.

Today, Northern Piemonte is once again one of Italy’s most exciting wine regions. A new generation of producers has restored the reputation of historic denominations such as Gattinara, Ghemme, Lessona, Boca and Carema, while Erbaluce has emerged as one of Italy’s finest native white grape varieties. Despite this progress, the region remains far less familiar than the Langhe, offering adventurous wine lovers outstanding quality, diversity and value.

Northern Piemonte, as defined in my annual report on the region, comprises the ten denominations of Alto Piemonte together with Carema, Caluso and Canavese. Together they form one of Italy’s most varied wine landscapes, with remarkable geological diversity and a cooler climate than the Langhe. The region also has its own winemaking tradition, producing both varietal Nebbiolo and blends with local grapes such as Vespolina, Croatina and Uva Rara.