So you got your hands on a bottle of Barolo. Now the real fun begins!
You should pour your Barolo into a wide wine glass such as the Bormioli Rocco glasses found on Amazon here. A wide glass helps bring out the texture of powerful expressive wines like Barolo. Burgundy wine glasses such as these are also great for Barolo, since the slightly tapered rim helps direct the fruit toward the front palate, where the rich fruit flavors can get the attention they deserve!
Once you’ve poured yourself a glass, notice the light red color that seems a slight shade paler than most red wines. Put your nose into the glass and take a nice breath in. See if you can notice the strong floral scents, and maybe even pick out hints of roses. Now take a sip, and notice the astringent tannins gripping your tongue, as well as the high amount of alcohol content compared to other wines. See if you can pick out common flavors found in Barolo such as tar, herbs, prunes, truffles, cherry, anise, and tobacco. Some Barolos also have hints of cinnamon and white pepper, and the more aged “riservas” often have hints of licorice, leather and chocolate. Try to identify if your Barolo tastes extra chalky or earthy; if so, you might be drinking one from the Monforte d’Alba region (we’ll go into more details on the different “cru” regions of Barolo in future articles).
If you’re trying to pair your Barolo with a meal, you can’t go wrong with strong meaty dishes. Piedmont, the region in northwest Italy where the vineyards of Barolo are located, is known for its hearty and rich cuisine that is heavy on game meats such as pheasant, duck, venison, wild boar, rabbit and goose. Naturally, Barolo pairs very well with these dishes, as well as with the Piedmontese specialty of truffle mushrooms. It also pairs well with steak, mushroom pastas, and with lighter cheeses such as robiolo or grana padano.
One of the more unconventional but effective pairings is Barolo and East Asian cuisine. As an Asian American myself, the way the tannins in Barolo compliment the strong flavors and hefty richness of Asian meat dishes is a big part of what drew me to the wine. In particular, dishes with a hint of sweetness such as Peking duck and Korean kalbi short ribs go really well with the more recent vintages from Cannubi. None other than legendary wine reviewer Robert Parker himself recommends pairing Barolo with dim sum, citing “soy is a flavor I get in nebbiolo” as a reason.
Whether you enjoy it with a delicious meal or enjoy a bottle on its own, the most important thing is just to slow down, take a moment, and truly enjoy this amazing wine!
