Editorial

Topics: News, Grapes, Denominations, Wineries, Tastings, Food & wine, Places & travel, History & culture

November 2026 (11 articles)

Orsolani's La Rustìa: A Dry Erbaluce from the Canavese Moraine Hills (2026-11-13): La Rustìa 2025 is one of two Erbaluce di Caluso in Gambero Rosso's Tre Bicchieri 2027 Piemonte list. Here is the family, the grape and the hills behind it.
Bollito Misto and Carrù's Bue Grasso: What to Pour This December (2026-11-12): Carrù's Fiera del Bue Grasso returns on 17 December. The rule of seven behind bollito misto, and the young Barbera, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo to pour with it.
Domenico Clerico: The Wild Aeroplane of Monforte and the Crus He Chose (2026-11-11): How a Monforte farmer's son and his wife Giuliana bought their way into Bussia, Ginestra and Mosconi, and the two Barolos the 2027 guides picked.
Roero's 2027 Award Winners: The Arneis and Nebbiolo the Guides Picked (2026-11-10): Roero had a strong year in the 2027 guides. A short guide to the denomination, then its award-winning Arneis and Nebbiolo, guide by guide.
The Most Awarded Piemonte Wines of 2027: 27 Bottles the Guides Agree On (2026-11-09): We counted the 2027 awards from seven Italian guides. These are the 27 Piemonte wines on our site that three or more of them picked, led by a Barbaresco in five.
Cantine Aperte a San Martino: Eight Piemonte Doors Open to 15 November (2026-11-08): From a three hour cellar visit in the Roero to a truffle lunch in the Monferrato and Canelli's underground cellars, here is what Piemonte's Cantine Aperte a San Martino offers until 15 November.
Veronelli 2027: Piemonte's 14 Stelle Polari and a Perfect Barolo (2026-11-06): Veronelli's Guida Oro 2027 gives Piemonte 14 of its 48 Stelle Polari and a perfect score for Granbussia 2016. Here are all 75 Piemonte winners.
Sleeping Among the Vines: Piemonte Wine Estates With Rooms (2026-11-05): From a B&B above Barolo to a castle in Verduno and a Monferrato cascina, eight wine estates on our site where you can book a room and stay for the tasting.
Poderi Marcarini: Brunate, La Serra and a Dolcetto That Beat Phylloxera (2026-11-04): La Morra's Marcarini family put Brunate on a label in 1958, makes Barolo the traditional way and keeps a rare plot of ungrafted Dolcetto. Here is how to visit.
Langhe DOC Explained: Piemonte's Widest Label, from Nebbiolo to Riesling (2026-11-03): Langhe is the label behind Langhe Nebbiolo, Langhe Riesling and dozens of house blends. What its rules allow, what they forbid, and what is changing.
New on the Site: Penna-Currado and Two Costigliole Family Cellars (2026-11-02): Three estates have just joined Il Vino Bello: Luca Currado and Elena Penna's new Serralunga venture, and two family cellars in Costigliole d'Asti.

October 2026 (29 articles)

Vitae 2027: Piemonte's 85 Wines in AIS's Four Lists of 100 (2026-10-30): AIS's Vitae 2027 names 400 wines in four lists of 100, and 85 come from Piemonte, from Giacomo Conterno's Francia to a Valsusa Avanà. The full list, grouped by selection.
Piemonte Cheese and Wine: Castelmagno, Bra, Raschera and What to Pour (2026-10-29): As the summer cheeses come down from the alpine pastures, a guide to Castelmagno, Bra, Raschera, Murazzano, Roccaverano and Toma, and the Piemonte wines to pour with them.
iDivini: Two Belgian Designers, Thirteen Wines and a Lot of Love (2026-10-28): Two former interior designers from Belgium make 55,000 bottles a year in the Monferrato hills. We tasted their range, from a smoky Freisa to a revived Tinella.
Tenute Sella: Sea Sands, Red Porphyry and Lessona Since 1671 (2026-10-28): Tenute Sella has made wine in Lessona since 1671. Here is the family story, the difference between its sand and porphyry vineyards, and how to visit.
Corriere's 100 Best Wines 2027: Piemonte's 16, from Brunate to Gattinara (2026-10-27): Sixteen Piemonte wines are in the 2027 Corriere della Sera guide's top 100, led by Voerzio's Brunate at no. 3. Here they are, with links.
Cascina delle Rose: Barbaresco Growers Named Vignaioli of the Year (2026-10-26): Gambero Rosso's Vini d'Italia 2027 names Davide and Riccardo Sobrino of Cascina delle Rose its growers of the year. Here is the estate, its crus and how to visit.
Barolo en Primeur 2026: A Record Night, and Money for the Pickers (2026-10-24): A new record at Grinzane Cavour: what sold at Barolo en Primeur 2026, the last barrel still to come on 8 November, and why this year's causes matter.
Bersano's Nizza Cremosina: Barbera from the Family's First Vineyard (2026-10-23): Bersano's Cremosina 2023 is one of three Nizza wines on Gambero Rosso's Tre Bicchieri 2027 list. The vineyard, the rules, and where to taste it in Nizza.
Massolino: Vigna Rionda, a Swapped Plot and 130 Years in Serralunga (2026-10-22): Our Winery of the Week farms the biggest share of Vigna Rionda, whose black-label Riserva 2020 just won Tre Bicchieri. Its story, its crus and how to visit.
Bibenda, DoctorWine and Vinibuoni 2027: Piemonte's Other Winners (2026-10-21): Bibenda, DoctorWine and Vinibuoni d'Italia have published their 2027 awards. Here are the Piemonte wines every guide agrees on, and the surprises.
Grignolino: Monferrato's Pale, Pip-Filled Red and Its Second Life (2026-10-20): Grignolino looks like a rosé and grips like a far darker red. Here is where it comes from, how to read its three labels, and why its long-aged Monferace style is back.
Europe's No. 2 Wine Region for 2027, and the Other Langhe Harvest (2026-10-19): A Brussels travel list puts Piemonte's wine hills second in Europe for 2027, for Nebbiolo, truffles and autumn. Days later, Alba's Caritas described the harvest behind the postcard.
Tre Bicchieri 2027: Piemonte's Winners, from Barolo to Alta Langa (2026-10-16): Gambero Rosso has named its Piemonte Tre Bicchieri for 2027. Barolo still leads, but Barbera, Alta Langa and the Roero gain ground. Here are the highlights, and the winners on our site.
Moscato d'Asti: The Sweet Sparkler Piemonte Makes All Year Round (2026-10-16): Moscato d'Asti is not made once in autumn. The juice waits near zero degrees and is fermented batch by batch, stopped at about 5% alcohol to keep its sugar and fizz.
Bagna Cauda Day 2026: Fujot, Cardoons and Barbera in Asti (2026-10-15): Bagna Cauda Day returns on 20 to 22 and 27 to 29 November. How the 30 euro bagna works, which garlic level to choose, and the Barbera that goes with it.
Produttori del Barbaresco: Nine Crus, One Cellar and a Priest's Idea (2026-10-14): Winery of the Week: the Barbaresco cooperative founded in 1958, its nine single-vineyard Riserve, what recent vintages mean, and its shop on the square.
Dogliani DOCG: Dolcetto's Home Hills and the Names on the Label (2026-10-13): A guide to Dogliani DOCG: four centuries of Dolcetto, the 2011 denomination, Dogliani versus Superiore, and the 76 place names allowed on the label.
Ferrando's Carema Etichetta Nera: Mountain Nebbiolo on Stone Pillars (2026-10-12): Ferrando's Etichetta Nera is Carema at its rarest: Nebbiolo from stone-pillared pergolas on the Aosta Valley border, about 3,000 bottles in the years it is made.
Gavi Explained: Cortese, Eleven Comuni and What the Label Tells You (2026-10-11): Gavi is 100% Cortese from 11 comuni near the Ligurian border. Here is how to read its labels, where its three soils lie, and how the hot 2026 vintage turned out.
Slow Wine 2027: Piemonte's 40 Snails and the Bottles Worth Finding (2026-10-10): Slow Wine 2027 is out and Piemonte leads with 40 snails. The three new ones, what the editors saw in Roero, Barbaresco and the Monferrato, and where to drink the wines.
Barolo Chinato: Chocolate, Bonèt and Piemonte's Bittersweet Nightcap (2026-10-09): Barolo Chinato began as a pharmacist's remedy. Here is how it is made, which houses make it, and why dark chocolate is its classic match.
Freisa: Nebbiolo's Rustic Relative and Turin's Old Favourite Red (2026-10-08): Freisa was first recorded in 1517, once ruled Turin's tables and is a close relative of Nebbiolo. Here are its styles today, where it grows and which bottles to look for.
Narrar Castelli e Vini: Five Castles, Costumed Stories and a Glass (2026-10-07): From 18 October to 8 November, five castles from Serralunga d'Alba to Pralormo host costumed storytellers, followed by a wine tasting, for 12 euros.
Malvirà: Arneis, Tarot Cards and Three Generations in Canale (2026-10-06): Named after a north-facing courtyard, Malvirà has made Roero Arneis and Nebbiolo in Canale for three generations. Here are its crus, its tarot-card labels and how to visit.
Cappello Sommerso: Why Barolo Spends Weeks Under Its Own Skins (2026-10-05): Barolo's harvest began on 10 September. Then comes the slow part: weeks of maceration under a submerged cap. What it is, where it comes from, and which wines on the site are made this way.
Learning Barolo and Barbaresco This Autumn: Tastings Worth Booking (2026-10-04): From 10 October the Strada del Barolo runs Saturday masterclasses in Alba, while Barbaresco's enoteca hosts two growers a day every weekend until 29 November. Dates, prices and how to plan a weekend.
Castello di Uviglie: Gambero Rosso's Young Producers of the Year (2026-10-03): Gambero Rosso has named Castello di Uviglie its Young Producers of the Year. Meet the Bonzano cousins, their cave-aged sparkling wines and Albarossa, and how to visit.
Full Cellars, Cheaper Grapes: Piemonte Wine's Hard Autumn Explained (2026-10-02): Piemonte's grapes are healthy this year, but its cellars are full and prices are falling. What growers and consorzi are saying, and why your next bottle of Dolcetto matters.
Alladium: Cieck's Erbaluce Passito, Dried Through the Canavese Winter (2026-10-01): Every autumn Cieck hangs its best Erbaluce bunches to dry until January. The result, Alladium, spends at least five years in barrel before release.

September 2026 (16 articles)

Alta Langa: How Piemonte Built a Sparkling Wine in the High Hills (2026-09-30): What Alta Langa DOCG is, how it began in 1990, what its rules demand, and a handful of bottles on the site that show the range.
Barolo en Primeur 2026: Barrels, Old Bottles and Christie's at Grinzane (2026-09-29): On 23 October the Castello di Grinzane Cavour hosts the sixth Barolo en Primeur: barrels of 2025 Vigna Gustava, 681 donated bottles and, for the first time, old vintages back to 1996.
White Truffle Season: What to Pour with Alba's Tartufo Bianco (2026-09-28): White truffle is all perfume and the wrong wine buries it. A dish-by-dish guide to pairing it with Piemonte wines, from aged Timorasso to old Barolo and Alta Langa.
Nascetta: Novello's Rescued White and the Langhe Wines It Makes (2026-09-28): By the late 1980s Nascetta survived in a few rows around Novello. After a 1993 tasting and 800 bottles in 1994, it now has its own DOC subzone and festival.
Ruchè: The Parish Priest's Grape of Castagnole Monferrato (2026-09-27): Ruchè is one of Piemonte's rarest reds, grown in just seven comuni near Asti. How a parish priest rescued it, and where to find it today.
Fratelli Alessandria: Pepper, Monvigliero and Two Centuries in Verduno (2026-09-26): Winery of the Week: the Alessandria family has made wine in Verduno since 1830, from peppery Pelaverga to Barolo from the Monvigliero cru.
Timorasso: How a Near-Lost Grape Became Piemonte's Serious White (2026-09-25): Three hectares in 2000, more than 500 today. How the Colli Tortonesi white came back from near extinction, what it tastes like, and why its name is being argued over in Rome.
Piemonte's 2026 Harvest: A Record-Hot Summer, Many Vintages in One (2026-09-25): Record heat pushed Piemonte's 2026 harvest weeks ahead of schedule. Here is how it is playing out, from Moscato and Arneis to the Nebbiolo still hanging in Barolo.
3,000 Bottles in Three Hours: The Barolo Heist at Conterno Fantino (2026-09-23): A crew stole more than 3,000 bottles of Barolo from Conterno Fantino in Monforte d'Alba overnight. How they did it, and what it means for buyers.
Bricco dell'Uccellone: The Barbera Named for a Big Nose (2026-09-19): In 1982, Giacomo Bologna aged Barbera in barrique for the first time and named the wine after a woman who once lived on the hill above his vineyard, a neighbour the whole village knew by a rather unkind nickname.
Braida: How One Family Rewrote the Rules for Barbera (2026-09-15): Founded by Giacomo Bologna in 1961, Braida turned Barbera from an everyday table wine into one of Piemonte's most serious reds, all from a handful of hillside vineyards in a village its own songwriter once described as "ten vineyards, six…
Valentìne: A Burgundian Chardonnay from Treiso (2026-09-12): Made from Ca' del Baio's oldest Chardonnay vines using techniques Valentina Grasso brought home from a season working the harvest at Domaine de Montille in Meursault, Valentìne is a quietly ambitious departure from the estate's…
Coppo: Barbera, Bubbles, and Canelli's Underground Cathedrals (2026-09-08): Founded in 1892 in Canelli, Coppo is custodian of the town's UNESCO-listed underground cellars, and one of the few names to make a strong case for Barbera as a serious wine.
Nizza Pomorosso: Coppo's Flagship Barbera (2026-09-05): Coppo's most prestigious Barbera, and by the estate's own account, one of the wines that helped rebuild the grape's reputation.
Reading a Piemonte Wine Label: DOC, DOCG, and What They Actually Mean (2026-09-03): DOC, DOCG, the commune name, sometimes a vineyard name on top. Piemonte labels pack in a lot; here's what each layer is actually telling you.
Welcome to the New Il Vino Bello (2026-09-01): Il Vino Bello has a new home, a cleaner dataset, and a few features the old site never had: ratings, a proper editorial section, and a weekly rotation of picks.