A hidden gem rediscovered
Until a few years ago, the Nebbiolos of Alto Piemonte were known only to a small elite of wine connoisseurs. But ever since Roberto Conterno of the cult Barolo estate Giacomo Conterno bought the historic Cantine Nervi in Gattinara, a veritable buzz has grown up around northern Piedmont. Vineyard prices in the provinces of Biella, Vercelli and Novara are rising noticeably. Almost overnight, the international wine world has turned its gaze to the hitherto little-noticed Alto Piemonte.
Yet a famous winemaker had already invested here twenty years earlier — more quietly, and barely noticed by the sensation-hungry wine press. In 1999, Paolo de Marchi of the top Tuscan estate Isole e Olena began rebuilding his old family winery in sleepy Lessona — rather than investing, like others, in the then-fashionable Maremma.
Once Italy’s largest wine region
What hardly anyone knows: wine was grown on a grand scale in northern Piedmont long ago. For centuries, the luxury wines of Italy and Europe were produced here; as early as 1648 there were detailed maps recording the crus — the finest sites — long before Burgundy did the same. At the end of the 19th century, Alto Piemonte was still Italy’s best-known and largest contiguous wine region. 40 000 hectares were planted with vines — an area equal to that of today’s entire Piedmont region. These hills are now covered in forest. Where vines once stood, robinias and chestnuts grow.
The reasons for the decline were manifold: severe fragmentation of vineyard ownership through inheritance, new vine diseases from overseas, and a devastating hailstorm in August 1905 that destroyed everything. More and more farmers gave up their vineyards and sought more comfortable jobs in the growing textile and car industries. The area under vine shrank rapidly. At its lowest point, in the 1990s, only a fraction of the former vineyards and a handful of producers remained. But for some time now things have been looking up in Alto Piemonte: the vineyard area is growing again and new estates are emerging.
A geological kaleidoscope
In Alto Piemonte, the African and European continental plates meet. This makes the area one of the most geologically fascinating in the world. Rock strata from depths of up to 25 to 30 kilometres come to the surface here. The diversity of the soils gives the region’s wines their distinctive character.
Monte Rosa shields the area from cold northerly winds. The climate is temperate, shaped by a long growing season. Winters are mild and snowless — palms and banana plants grow in the gardens. In summer, fresh winds from the glaciers and Alpine valleys bring cool nights. The vines bud early, and the grapes often ripen well into October.
These conditions help the Nebbiolo grape produce great wines in Alto Piemonte. In some appellations they are single-varietal; in others they contain small proportions of Uva Rara and Vespolina. Their range of facets is fascinating: in Lessona they are particularly finely woven, mineral and saline, almost cool; in Boca, by contrast, spicy and Mediterranean, warm and firmly structured. Yet all the wines share a profound depth and an extraordinary elegance. They are in no way inferior to their more famous cousins, Barolo and Barbaresco.
Places of pilgrimage and mysterious lakes
Alto Piemonte has more to offer than wine, however. Between winery visits, even the most ardent wine lover needs a break. An excursion to Oropa, north of Biella, fits the bill. The small Marian pilgrimage site at 1150 metres above sea level boasts nothing less than a copy of St Peter’s Basilica which, thanks to the magnificent mountain panorama behind it, looks considerably less bombastic than the original in Rome. It is well worth seeing, even if you are no pilgrim.
Of greater historical value is the 17th-century basilica. It houses the Gothic statue of the Black Madonna venerated at Oropa. Also significant in art-historical terms are the twelve chapels from the 17th and 18th centuries in the immediate surroundings, whose interiors depict the life of the Virgin in terracotta figures.
Those in need of less culture and more relaxation should head for Lake Orta. This lake of just 18 square kilometres, west of Lake Maggiore, is a true hidden gem. Ancient woods, steep shores with rocky cliffs and splendid villas alternate along its banks. Add to that a spectacular view of Monte Rosa and the small, picturesque Isola San Giulio, which is certainly worth a visit.
White gold
Where the foothills of the Alps give way to the broad, fertile Po Valley, the realm of white gold begins. Here, around the towns of Biella, Vercelli and Novara, lies Europe’s largest rice-growing area. Rice cultivation came to Italy in the 15th century with the Spanish rulers who settled in Naples and later in the north of the country. Especially in the Po Valley, cultivation of the new crop, far higher-yielding than grain, boomed. By around 1870 the cultivated area had reached 232 000 hectares.
After the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, considerably cheaper rice from Asia could be imported into Europe. The cultivated area declined steadily, shrinking to 96 000 hectares after the Second World War. The wars in Korea and Vietnam, however, drove demand back up. Today, Italian rice cultivation covers a total area of around 210 000 hectares, 114 000 hectares of which are in Piedmont alone.
The rice of top chefs
Anyone who takes cooking seriously uses Acquerello rice for the perfect risotto. Top chefs around the world swear by it. Since the early 1990s, the Rondolino family has produced only one variety of rice: Carnaroli, the king of risotto varieties. What makes this rice special is that after the harvest it is stored unhusked for at least a year in temperature-controlled silos. During this time its flavour intensifies and its cooking properties improve.
What’s more, the germ — separated from the grain during processing and containing most of the vitamins and trace elements — is reintegrated at the end thanks to a patented process. In this way, the fine flavour of white, husked rice is combined with the nutritional value of wholegrain rice. Producing Acquerello rice requires a total of 20 different processing steps.
Anyone wanting to learn more about rice production and its history should take a guided tour of the historic Tenuta Colombara in Livorno Ferraris, where Acquerello has its home. After visiting the tenuta, you can satisfy your appetite for risotto in style at the Osteria La Colombara, which cooks exclusively with Acquerello rice. A feast for gourmets!
This article appeared in MEN issue 1/24 (May 2024).
