Barolo and Barbaresco: The King and Queen of Italian Wine

by Kerin O’Keefe

Following on the success of her books on Brunello di Montalcino, renowned author and wine critic Kerin O'Keefe takes readers on a historic and in-depth journey to Piedmont to discover Barolo and Barbaresco, two of Italy's most fascinating and storied wines. In this groundbreaking new book, O'Keefe gives a comprehensive overview of the stunning side-by-side growing areas of these two world-class wines that are separated only by the city of Alba and profiles a number of the fiercely individualistic winemakers who create structured yet elegant and complex wines of remarkable depth from Italy's most noble grape, Nebbiolo.

A masterful narrator of the aristocratic origins of winemaking in this region, O'Keefe gives readers a clear picture of why Barolo is called both the King of Wines and the Wine of Kings. Profiles of key Barolo and Barbaresco villages include fascinating stories of the families, wine producers, and idiosyncratic personalities that have shaped the area and its wines and helped ignite the Quality Wine Revolution that eventually swept through all of Italy.

The book also considers practical factors impacting viticulture and enology in the Langhe region, including climate change, destructive use of harsh chemicals in the vineyards versus the gentler treatments used for centuries, the various schools of thought regarding vinification and aging, and expansion and zoning of vineyard areas. Readers will also appreciate the author's numerous tasting notes, a helpful vintage guide to Barolo and Barbaresco and a glossary of useful Italian wine terms.

List of Illustrations
Preface
Barolo and Barbaresco, the Pride of Piedmont
PART ONE
THE PLACE, THE GRAPE, THE HISTORY, AND THE WINE
1 The Ancient Origins of the Langhe Hills
2 Noble Nebbiolo
3 The King of Wines, the Wine of Kings
4 The Barolo Wars and Their Effect on Both Denominations
5 Expansion, Subzones, and the Future of Barolo and Barbaresco
PART TWO
PROFILES OF KEY BAROLO PRODUCERS BY VILLAGE
6 Barolo and Novello
7 Castiglione Falletto
8 Serralunga d'Alba
9 La Morra and Cherasco
10 Monforte d'Alba
11 Verduno, Grinzane Cavour, Roddi, and Diano d'Alba
PART THREE
PROFILES OF KEY BARBARESCO PRODUCERS BY VILLAGE
12 From Domizio Cavazza to Subzones
13 (Village of) Barbaresco
14 Neive
15 Treiso and San Rocco Seno d'Elvio
16 Wineries in Alba and outside of Barolo/Barbaresco Villages
Appendix A. Vintage Guide to Barolo and Barbaresco
Appendix B. Barolo and Barbaresco at a Glance, with a guide to the officially recognized vineyard areas or menzioni geografiche aggiuntive
Notes
Acknowledgments

Genres: Wine, Nonfiction

368 pages, Hardcover

First published October 9, 2014

Reviews

[Manuel Alamo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very entertained by the book, totally recommended for lovers of the DOs of Piedmont or those who want to know more about the wonderful wines of the area. O'Keefe gives us a little of everything: geographical descriptions, a guide to wines and vintages, a description of the best places and a personal but objective touch of the main producers and the role they have played and continue to play in keeping this tradition alive. The history, controversies, struggles and revolutions that Barolo and Barberesco have seen are narrated in a fluid, agile and attractive way, not limited to describing facts, but to explaining a development with ups and downs that have made these wines one of the most celebrated worldwide.

[Jeff Gassman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book on Barolo and Barbaresco. Kerin's personal preferences about the wine become clear, and in my opinion she left out some key producers that use more French oak. But it's a great book about the region, including the all-important Barolo wars.

[Matt Lennert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in 2015 with far less knowledge regarding Italian wine. I am studying for my Italian Wine Scholar certification through the International Wine Guild and this book makes more sense to me now. The detailed descriptions of the areas, the soils, climate, and key figures, as well as the history of the area are terrific. This is an indispensable resource guide for Barolo and Barbaresco lovers as there are vintage charts and descriptions of the areas, and descriptions of major producers as well as what O'Keefe feels are some of the most interesting smaller producers.

[Jozef Schildermans · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, concise read, but maybe not aimed at the general reader: some previous knowledge is required to enjoy it fully. The text is also a bit repetitive in some areas. Also quite biased in the direction of so-called "traditional" producers, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but maybe isn't suitable for a "general" introduction to these wines. If you're looking for profiles on Voerzio, La Spinetta and the likes, look elsewhere.