How to pour it
a nebbiolo in
Bring the bottle to 16 to 18 degrees. Room temperature in a heated home is often too warm, so place the bottle in a cool room for half an hour or in the refrigerator for twenty minutes. Too much warmth makes the alcohol sharp, while too much chill makes the tannin hard and the aromas closed.
Cut around the capsule just below the ridge on the neck and wipe the rim clean. Place the spiral in the center of the cork and twist it straight down until just before the end. Older bottles have more fragile corks, so pull slowly and straight upward.
Pour the wine into a decanter and give it about an hour. Nebbiolo is often tight just after opening, and the aromas of rose and cherry only emerge after exposure to air. With an older bottle containing sediment, pour slowly and leave the last little bit in the bottle.
Pour until the rounded glass is about one-third full. You need the space above it: that is where the aromas collect, and with this grape, that is half the story. Swirl gently and smell before tasting, then you will notice how the wine keeps changing in the glass.
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The story
Nebbiolo is an old grape variety from Piedmont, in northwestern Italy. Its name is usually explained in one of two ways: it may come from nebbia, the autumn mist that hangs over the hills of the Langhe in October when this late-ripening grape finally matures, or from the white, hazy bloom that covers the skin of ripe grapes. Which of the two is correct has not been established. What is certain is that the grape is demanding: it buds early, ripens late, and responds strongly to soil and location. As a result, it rarely succeeds outside Piedmont, with Valtellina in Lombardy the best-known exception.
The right glass
Because nebbiolo relies mainly on its aroma, it benefits from a round glass with a wide bowl and a rim that curves inward again. The wine gets surface area to take in air, and the aroma then lingers in the glass instead of disappearing. A tall, straight Bordeaux bowl does exactly the opposite. Below are two round bowls; feel free to compare them with the rest of the large wine glasses. For decanting, you can find the shapes among the decanters.
Luigi Bormioli Grandioso wine glass 55 cl Pinot Nero-Nebbiolo (6 pieces)
Schott Zwiesel Banquet Burgundy glass 63 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 83,65.
The right tools
For a nebbiolo, besides the glass, you mainly need a corkscrew with a long spiral and a decanter, and a stopper for an opened bottle. The bar tools below only come in handy when wine goes into a cocktail: a jigger for measuring and a bar spoon for stirring. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 79,85.
Which wine goes with this?
Nebbiolo is rarely alone on the table. These are the wines that pair well with it during a meal, from another Italian heavyweight like Brunello to a glass of Moscato with dessert. On each drinks page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works in, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
The name nebbiolo covers very different wines. Langhe Nebbiolo is the lightest and the quickest to become approachable, often made from young vines or parcels just outside the famous areas. Roero comes from the sandier side of the Tanaro and has softer tannins. In Alto Piemonte, around Gattinara and Ghemme, the grape grows on volcanic soil and produces wines that are more structured and smokier. In Valtellina it is called chiavennasca and grows on terraces along the mountain slopes. Want to read more? View all drinks and brands.
Serving tip
Serve nebbiolo at 16 to 18 degrees and give it some air before you start. It calls for food with fat and umami, because that is what the tannin bites into: risotto with butter, pasta with ragù, roasted meat, mushrooms and aged hard cheese. With lean, sweet or heavily spiced food, the tannin comes to the fore.
Good to know
Why it is pale yet firm
Nebbiolo has little pigment in its skin, so the wine is light ruby-red when young and quickly turns orange-brown at the rim. Tannin and acidity, however, are present in large quantities in that same skin and in the seeds. Colour and structure therefore have nothing to do with each other, and that is precisely why this wine surprises: it looks like a light wine and behaves like a full-bodied one.
Rose and tar, and where that bitter note comes from
The two words most often associated with nebbiolo are rose and tar. Sour cherry, dried herbs, leather and sometimes truffle join them. The finish often has a bitter note reminiscent of liquorice. That bitterness is part of the wine and is not a flaw; together with the high acidity, it makes the wine feel fresh again immediately after a bite of food.
The two explanations for the name
The first explanation links nebbiolo to nebbia, the mist that moves through the Langhe valleys in October, exactly when this late-ripening grape is harvested. The second points to the white bloom that lies like a haze on the ripe skin. Both explanations are commonly cited, and neither has been proven. You will encounter both, sometimes side by side in the same story.
Why it succeeds almost exclusively in Piedmont
Nebbiolo buds early and ripens very late, meaning it can be exposed to both spring frost and a cold autumn. It also requires soil with calcareous marl and a slope that catches enough sunlight. Where that combination is lacking, it produces thin, meagre wine. As a result, it rarely succeeds outside Piedmont; Valtellina in Lombardy is the best-known exception, while plantings elsewhere in the world remain small.
How much alcohol it contains and how long it keeps
Nebbiolo contains roughly 13 to 15 percent alcohol; the percentage is stated on the label. You usually drink a simple Langhe Nebbiolo within a few years. Wines from the famous areas need time for the tannin to soften and can then age for a long time. Once opened, a bottle will keep for another two to three days with a stopper in the refrigerator.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is nebbiolo?
Nebbiolo is a blue grape from Piedmont, in northwestern Italy. It produces a pale wine that soon turns orange-brown, with plenty of tannin and high acidity, and aromas of rose, tar, cherry and herbs. The best-known wines made from this grape come from the Langhe.
Why does nebbiolo taste heavier than it looks?
Because colour and structure are separate in this grape. The skin contains little colouring matter, but plenty of tannin and acidity. The result is a pale red wine in the glass that feels firm and astringent in the mouth, especially when it is still young.
Where does the name nebbiolo come from?
There are two common explanations. One links the name to nebbia, the autumn fog in the Langhe that coincides with the late harvest. The other points to the white bloom that lies like a haze on the ripe skin. It is not certain which of the two is correct.
Should you decant nebbiolo, and which glass should you serve it in?
Decanting really helps with this grape, especially with young bottles: allow about an hour of air. Serve it at 16 to 18 degrees in a round Burgundy glass with a wide bowl and inward-curving rim, so the aroma has room to develop and then lingers.
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