48 HOURS IN... ALBA

If you were allowed to think of a wine region yourself, there is a good chance it would look like the area around Alba in Piedmont, the wine region of Barolo. Vineyards on the slopes, hazelnut groves and oak forests in between, ancient villages on the hills, not infrequently with a castle, and cantine, wine farms in between. And along the winding roads signs inviting you to come and taste. We fell like a log for this beautiful area, its wines, not to mention its delicious cuisine. TEXT KEES VERPLANKE IMAGE PASQUALE PELISSERO

16 HOURS | CASCINA MERIAME
After a long drive, we finally get off the motorway at Alba. After a roundabout near Fontanafredda, one of Piedmont's largest and oldest wineries, the navigation directs us uphill, into the beautiful countryside. After about ten minutes, just in time we spot a sign for Agriturismo Cascina Meriame at the start of a steep unpaved country road down into the valley. After a few minutes we drive into the yard with the modern villa and cantina where Paolo Manzone makes his highly regarded wines. There, too, is our accommodation in a renovated, typically Piedmontese farmhouse. Immediately, the magnificent views over the vineyards and the historic hill towns of Serralunga d'Alba and Castiglione Falleto catch our attention. Until Luisella's warm words of welcome demand our attention. After a welcome drink, she shows us the stylish and comfortable room with ditto bathroom. There are two terraces in the courtyard: one covered and one open terrace with shade and a swimming pool near the villa. The un-Italian breakfast is a feast, as we find out the next morning. What a lovely place!

6PM | PAOLO'S PRIDE
Although we are tired from the journey, we immediately get excited when Luisella invites us to the tasting room. When we walk into the tasting room, there are also guests from the United States and Switzerland, who, like us, are eagerly awaiting the table with wines, sausages, ham and cheese. As Paolo is still busy in the cellar, Luisella starts with the introduction. In doing so, she explains that although Paolo is the winemaker, the vineyards belong to her family. Just so we know. All the vineyards - 14 hectares in total - are located on a south-facing slope at 200 to 400 metres altitude in the shape of an amphitheatre in the hills, Luisella continues, and the soil consists of clay and underneath limestone. Last but not least, the vineyards are part of a traditional cru vineyard for Barolo, Meriame. With a perfect sense of timing, Paolo appears to explain the wines we are tasting, eight of them no less. Of these, only one is white, but what a white: the Reysú, a Roero Arneis from 100 per cent Arneis grapes: straw yellow in colour, fruity with flavours of apricot and mango, fresh and elegant. The Barbera d'Alba Fiorenza from 100 per cent barbera is still young with aromas of pomegranate and red berries. 'The acidity is significant, but that lessens after 3 years and after 5 years it is perfect with lots of structure,' Paolo promises. The Barolo Serralunga d'Alba of 100 per cent nebbiolo that we taste penultimate is superb: ruby red in colour with lovely red cherry acidity, spicy and a nice long finish. Flagship is the Barolo Meriame from 60-year-old nebbiolo vines. This is aged for 24 months in barrels, part Slavonian and part French oak. We end the evening in charming Serralunga. On the terrace of the local ristorante-vinoteca overlooking the vineyards, we enjoy a plate of pasta, as simple as it is tasty, with a salad and a glass of Dolcetto, Piedmont's young everyday wine. There, we are addressed by Giovanni Correggio, who invites us to visit his cantina in Canale, which we of course accept.

10 AM | WARM RECEPTION
As we drive into the yard, Giovanni Correggio approaches us smiling as if we are old friends. He gives us a tour of the beautiful wine cellar. There, using a soil map, he explains the composition of the soil and where the various grapes are planted. In 1985, his father Matteo Correggia - the name the wine still carries - took over his father's business. At the time, it mainly made white wine, Roero Arneis. However, Matteo decided instead to produce more red wine from nebbiolo and barbera grapes, which was revolutionary for the time. Matteo died in harness in 2000 while working in the vineyard. His wife Ornella continued the business and later Giovanni and his sister Brigitta also joined Cantina Matteo Correggio. They work organically and experiment with storage in concrete tanks. The Correggio family makes as many as 10 different wines: two whites and eight reds. First, Giovanni pours the Roero Arneis, a fruity and soft wine. The Barbera d'Alba is also fruity but mostly full-bodied, with a taste of cherries. The Marun, also made from 100 per cent Barbera grapes but aged for 15 months in wood and then a further 12 months in bottle, impresses much more. According to Giovanni, it tastes great with suckling pig. The absolute highlight of the tasting table is the Roero Riserva Ròche d'Ampsèj, made from 100 per cent nebbiolo and aged for 16 months in barrel and another 2 years in bottle. What a beautifully dry elegant wine.

Read the whole article in WINELIFE #64. You can order here.

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