The Virna winery is located right in the village of Barolo, and encompasses winemaking areas such as the cru’s of Cannubi Boschis and Sarmassa, as well as other areas such as San Giovanni. In addition to Barolo, they produce other wines such as Dolcetto d’Alba, Barbera d’Alba, Nebbiolo d’Alba, and a blend referred to as “Langhe.” Virna Borgogno, the first woman to graduate with first class honors in winemaking from Turin University, leads the winery, and the excellent wines she produces are very ripe and full bodied. The Barolos from this winery tend to be firmer than other wines from the Barolo commune, have a strong fragrance of alcohol on the nose, and flavors that have a taste of black cherry and coffee along with the usual Barolo taste of roses and tar. The 2013 Virna Barolo is a great option for a first introduction to Barolo: very reasonably priced at under $40, but all the classic flavors, astringency and tannic structure of Barolo is there – and it’s an award winning wine to boot. I couldn’t resist and recently uncorked a bottle of the 2015 Virna from a recent trip to Piedmont, and the earthy notes of terroir paired perfectly with the lamb chops that I was grilling. For those who are new to Barolo, I highly recommend trying some Virna as an example of what all the hype is about. Better yet, pick up a bottle from each of the crus of Sarmassa and Cannubi Boschis, and taste the dramatic difference between two vineyards located less than 2 miles apart!
