I am still catching up on all the fun blog posts I need to write about from when my parents were here in the beginning of November. Did I mention that we had the most amazing weather ever!? For the first time they were able to get that WHAM BAM mountain chain view right up in front of them. It was the perfect day to go to Rivetto Winery between Serralunga and Sinio They might possibly have one of the best views in the valley.  I had been following Rivetto on various social networking platforms and his blog so I wanted to go visit in person. Taking my family was the perfect occasion.

Energetic Enrico, 4th generation winemaker finds us in the tasting room and ushers us enthusiastically into the vineyards. Here he explains that in between the rows, they plant barley, oats and clover in order to naturally stimulate the soil and the vines. By competing with the roots, it forces the vines to dig deeper down. This is one of the many examples of Rivetto’s focus on sustainability and respect for the land. He even showed us in the Crotìn, which is Piemontese for a bunker-like cellar in the hillside. We were able to see some special old wines in there and actually feel the type of soil special to this region for its clay and calcium. This distinctive soil is what gives those “masculine” style Barolos their OOMPH! Not only does it retain minerals and moisture during heat spells but it adds complexity!

Then it was time to taste! Although I love wine talk, we were all so involved in talking about basketball of all things, that we lost track of time, and I didn’t even get to write down many wine notes. I was anxious to try the native white varietal coming back into style called Nascetta. Despite it’s fruity nose it  was bone dry, and quite high in acidity and minerality in my opinion.  This is only the second Nascetta I’ve tasted and it was exciting to try again. Then it was time for the reds. We started with Barbera Zio Nando 2009, with fresh raspberry jam, cloves and vanilla notes. After getting into politics, the best idea was to keep tasting and try the two different Barolos: Serralunga D’Alba 2008 and the highly regarded Leon Riserva 2006. Both were hard to judge for me as I think they were still too young to really get an idea. In any case, “i signori” my parents, bought the more expensive Barolo and I chose the more reasonably priced Serralunga.

Before we left we were graced with Enrico’s mother and father Sergio’s presence. What characters they all were! We greatly appreciate the two hours they dedicated to showing us around the winery especially because I am sure they would have rather been out enjoying the most beautiful Fall day of the year. I can’t wait until we can reunite with my parents and try out our two Barolos in a couple years and look back on this day with fond memories.

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