Piedmont in Your Glass: Italian Wine Tasting at Back Alley Wine Bar (Monday, December 1)
Ready to explore one of Italy’s most storied wine regions without leaving Prescott? Join Back Alley Wine Bar on Monday, December 1, 2025, starting at 4pm for a focused Piedmont tasting flight featuring three benchmark styles: a crisp Gavi, a lifted Langhe Nebbiolo, and a vibrant Barbera d’Alba. Each pour will showcase how site, grape, and cellar craft come together in Italy’s northwestern hills, with food pairing ideas to match.
Piedmont: Where Mountains Shape the Wine
Piedmont sits in Italy’s northwest, bordered by the Alps and Apennines, with vineyards draped over foggy hills and river valleys around towns like Alba, Asti, and Gavi. Generations of growers have focused on native varieties—Cortese, Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Dolcetto—shaped by cool nights, autumn fog, and calcareous soils that favor elegance over sheer power.
Historically, Piedmont moved from rustic local wines to world-class bottlings over the 19th and 20th centuries as producers refined fermentation, adopted careful barrel aging, and focused on specific crus in Barolo, Barbaresco, and beyond. Cooperative cellars and family estates alike helped codify DOC and DOCG rules that protect origin, yields, and aging, ensuring that names like Gavi DOCG and Langhe DOC signal both place and quality.
Nebbiolo from Barolo and Barbaresco earned international attention in the late 20th century, but Piedmont’s story is broader: Barbera’s juicy acidity made it the historic “everyday” red, Cortese delivered seafood-friendly whites, and experimental élevage (from stainless steel to large casks and barriques) allowed winemakers to style wines for both local tables and global cellars. Today, modern and traditional producers coexist, united by a focus on terroir and native grapes.
Wine travelers now flock to Piedmont for cellar visits, truffle season, and vineyard-lined drives between Alba, La Morra, Barolo, and Gavi. Visitor centers, winery hospitality teams, and regional wine routes make it easier than ever to book tastings, tour historic cellars, and experience the food culture—tajarin, brasato, and hazelnut sweets—that inspired these wines in the first place.
Wine Flight Preview: Tasting Notes
La Bollina | Gavi DOCG 2024
- Encepagement: 100% Cortese, the classic white grape of Gavi, sourced from hillside vineyards in the Gavi DOCG zone.
- Elevage: Typically fermented and aged in stainless steel on fine lees to protect bright aromatics and emphasize minerality, with bottling done young to preserve freshness.
- Tasting notes: Expect citrus and orchard fruit (lemon, lime zest, green apple), white flowers, and a saline, almond-tinged finish, with medium acidity and a light, precise frame that feels especially refreshing in a flight setting.
- Food pairings: Ideal with seafood (shrimp, calamari, grilled white fish), caprese or burrata, vegetable antipasti, and simple herb-driven pastas; Cortese’s acidity and subtle salinity make it a natural with shellfish and light cheeses.
La Bollina is an estate in the Gavi area known for focusing on Cortese and other Piedmontese varieties, with holdings in prime, gently sloping vineyards that benefit from both maritime and alpine influences. The ownership has invested in hospitality—often including a resort component—along with modern cellar equipment to showcase clean, mineral-driven whites alongside structured reds from other appellations.
- Website: https://labollina.it/en/
Dezzani | Nebbiolo | Langhe DOC 2022
- Encepagement: Predominantly Nebbiolo sourced from Langhe DOC vineyards, often mixing sites at varying elevations to balance structure and approachability.
- Elevage: Langhe Nebbiolo is typically vinified in stainless steel and then aged in large neutral oak casks or older barriques for a shorter period than Barolo, softening tannin while keeping bright fruit and floral notes; 2022 is likely styled for earlier drinking.
- Tasting notes: Look for red cherry, raspberry, dried rose, and hints of licorice and spice, with medium body, elevated acidity, and fine-grained tannins that echo Barolo while being more approachable in youth.
- Food pairings: Excellent with mushroom risotto, truffle pasta, tajarin with ragù, roasted poultry, and semi-firm cheeses; Nebbiolo’s tannin and acidity make it a natural with richer sauces, umami, and dishes featuring mushrooms and herbs.
Dezzani is an historic Piedmont family winery with roots dating back to the early 20th century, operating from the Monferrato and Langhe area and working with both estate vineyards and long-term grower partners. The family and winemaking team have built a portfolio that includes Barbera d’Asti, Monferrato reds, sparkling wines, and approachable Nebbiolo-based blends, helping introduce Piedmont styles to a broad international audience.
Viberti | Barbera d’Alba “La Gemella” DOC 2022
- Encepagement: 100% Barbera from vineyards around Barolo and nearby villages in the Barbera d’Alba DOC; “La Gemella” reflects a selection of sites chosen to express Barbera’s freshness and depth.
- Elevage: Viberti typically ferments Barbera in stainless steel and then ages it in a combination of large Slavonian oak casks and/or neutral vessels to round the texture while preserving vivid fruit and acidity; the aim is a supple, energetic Barbera suited to both the table and short-term cellaring.
- Tasting notes: Expect bright red and black cherry, plum, violet, and subtle spice, with medium body, high acidity, and low to moderate tannin; the finish is juicy and mouthwatering, making it especially versatile with food.
- Food pairings: Barbera d’Alba shines with charcuterie, pizza, tomato-based pasta (amatriciana, Bolognese, lasagna), grilled sausages, and rich vegetable dishes; its high acidity cuts through fat and balances tomato and cheese richness beautifully.
- Accolades: Viberti’s “La Gemella” frequently receives strong reviews, often in the 90–92 point range from major critics like Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, or James Suckling, noted for its balance of freshness and depth; verify specific scores for the 2022 vintage from the winery or importer so exact numbers can be listed in printed or online materials.
Viberti Giovanni, based in the village of Barolo, traces its origins to the 1920s when Antonio Viberti began making wine to serve at the family inn, with later generations expanding vineyard holdings and estate bottling. The current generation, including winemaker Claudio Viberti, manages key parcels in Barolo (such as Buon Padre and select crus) along with Barbera and Nebbiolo vineyards, producing a portfolio that spans Barolo, Barbera d’Alba, Dolcetto, and Langhe Nebbiolo.
- Website: https://www.viberti-barolo.com
- Email: info@viberti-barolo.com
Whether you are a seasoned Barolo devotee or just beginning to explore Italian wine, this Piedmont flight will bring the region’s grapes, history, and table culture into sharp, delicious focus—no passport required.
Space is limited—early arrival recommended for best seating and flight availability!
Piedmont Tasting at Back Alley Wine Bar
Event Details
Location: Back Alley Wine Bar, Prescott, AZ
Date: Monday, December 1, 2025
Time: Starting at 4pm (tasting flight available through the evening)
Format: Guided tasting flight with food pairing suggestions inspired by Piedmont’s classic trattoria fare
Atmosphere: Cozy, lively, and perfect for armchair-traveling to the hills of Gavi, Langhe, and Barolo with each glass.
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