SCHIAVENZA & BAROLO
Most wine books would tell you pretty quickly that the name 'Piemonte' translates to something like 'foot of the mountains' or 'foothills', since the region sits with Alps towering off in the distance. And when we think of where the Piedmont sits, with the Alps blocking much of the cold air blowing in from the north, but also creating a barrier that the weather that moves in from over the Mediterranean cannot quite get over. The weather sits there in the valleys of the Langhe, born from mountains and sea. This creates a climate and 'terroir' unlike any other, so much so that Nebbiolo is extremely difficult to grow anywhere outside of this region. The region also gives us the most prized white truffles in the world, that do not quite taste the same as anywhere else, if we needed more proof of the unique quality of the soil and climate of the region.
In Barolo, wines can get rather expensive rather quickly, in particular in the great villages like Serralunga d'Alba and Castiglione Falleto, that's one of many reasons we're really excited to offer wines from Schiavenza. Schiavenza is a family-run domaine headed two sisters, Enrica and Maura Alessandria, and their husbands, Luciano Pira and Walter Anselma. The family not only farms roughly ten hectares of land in Serralunga d'Alba, they also serve some of the best local fare at the Trattoria Schiavenza.
Schiavenza farms organically, using cover crops to add vitality and life to the soil, while limiting yields of the vigorous nebbiolo grape, creating a wine of great depth. The family also works traditionally in the cellar, favoring longer maceration times, and aging the wine in the large Slavonian oak barrels, known as 'botte' in Italy. All of this adds up to a delicious wine that feels very real, a wine that you could decant and enjoy very much today, but also a wine that you could age for a good long while in the cellar, especially a wine from the rightfully heralded 2016 vintage in Barolo.
Photos by Walter Anselma & Kevin Russell
Schiavenza Barolo 2016 | $40
To order please call the restaurant at 845.831.5096, or email us at info@homespunfoods.com
Other Barolo & PIedmont Wines on Offer
~ GD Vajra | Barolo 'Albe' 2016 ~
One of the great values of Barolo. From three of the highest altitude vineyards in the village of Barolo. $42
~ Massolino | Barolo 'Vigna Rionda' 2012 ~
For many local winemakers, this is one of the great vineyards of Serralunga d'Alba. The combination of the higher altitude (Vigna Rionda sits between 820 and 1180 feet above sea level) which provides cooler air and plenty of sunshine, as well as the shelter the nearby Castelleto hill provides, Vigna Rionda is a wine with a true sense of place. $134.99
~ Walter Massa | Freisa 'L'Avvelenata' 2015 ~
One of many native grapes of Italy, Freisa is has the character of a wild cousin of Nebbiolo. In the hands of Walter Massa, working naturally in both the vineyards and cellar, and with five years of bottle age, this is a truly delicious bottle. $30
~ Roagna | Langhe Rosso 2011 ~
Crazy value from one of the great traditional/natural estates of the Piedmont. This fruit comes from the Pira vineyard in Castiglione Falleto, and is truly a 'declassified' Barolo. Luca Roagna chooses here to put his 'younger' vines in this wines, but those wines are still 25 years old. The result is a 9 year old Barolo from one of the greats, with nine years of bottle age. $45
~ Andrea Scovero | Barbera d'Asti 'Ciapin' 2017 ~
Really delicious, really fun natural wine from Andrea Scovero. Barbera is very juicy, without much tannin, and super vibrant in the hands of Scovero. Great with a wide variety of food, too.