What is Barolo / Nebbiolo?
Barolo / Nebbiolo is a red wine style best understood through its balance of fruit, freshness, body, tannin, sweetness and texture. Structured Piedmontese red with rose, cherry, tar, truffle and firm tannin. Typical flavours include rose, cherry, truffle, tar, spice.
Piedmont
Nebbiolo
Structured Red · 13.5-15%
Style profile
Grapes, regions and character
Barolo / Nebbiolo is commonly associated with Nebbiolo. The grape choice shapes the wine’s aroma, structure, acidity, body and food-pairing personality. Classic regions include Piedmont.
Piedmont
Italy
What does Barolo / Nebbiolo pair well with?
Pair Barolo / Nebbiolo by matching the wine’s weight, acidity, sweetness and tannin to the dish. It works especially well with braised meat, mushrooms, agnolotti, rich northern dishes. It is usually less successful with light salads.
Best food matches
Pairings to avoid
What makes a good or bad Barolo / Nebbiolo?
A good Barolo / Nebbiolo should taste balanced, expressive and clean. Look for clear fruit, freshness, structure and a finish that suits the style. The acidity is usually high, so the wine should feel lively without becoming harsh. The body is usually medium-full, so it should match the weight expected from this style.
A poor Barolo / Nebbiolo can taste flat, tired, harsh, thin, overly sweet, too alcoholic or unbalanced. Avoid bottles where oak, bitterness, heat or sweetness dominate the fruit, freshness and structure.
When buying Barolo / Nebbiolo, look for bottles where the region, grape and producer style match the food you want to cook. Useful countries to look at include Italy.
Serve Barolo / Nebbiolo at around 16-18°C. Serving temperature matters because too warm can make wine feel heavy, while too cold can mute flavour.
