Piedmont Series - Osvaldo Viberti

I recently spent about 10 days in Piedmont, Italy, with a group of friends and fellow wine lovers. We visited several wineries, enjoyed long lunches, and did plenty of tastings, this series covers those visits, one post per winery. On our very first day, we already had a tasting booked at Osvaldo Viberti, a producer I've already mentioned in a previous post: Barolo Osvaldo Viberti.

The inner courtyard of the winery. Our cars are parked just behind us, and the shed is off to the left, just out of frame.

The winery itself looks quite modest from the outside, a few sheds and a simple building, but it opens up into a larger inner courtyard where we parked our car. We were welcomed by Osvaldo's son; the last time we visited, his father was still hosting the tastings, but it seems his son has now taken over. In total, we tasted five wines and two grappas. I'm now back home, and the photos of the wines below were taken at my house, not in Italy.

Nascetta (white)

The first wine was a white Nascetta, which is also the name of the grape. It was fresh and light, perfect for a terrace in summer, but also suitable with lighter dishes. At a very reasonable €8, I bought two bottles. I tend not to buy many white wines, as they don't keep as long and I drink them less often. Still, on a hot summer day, they can be excellent.

Barbera

The second wine was a Barbera. I don't recall a specific cuvée name, I believe it was simply labeled "Barbera," after the grape. This variety is known for producing fruit-forward wines with a hint of sweetness. They only had magnums available, so I didn't buy one myself, but it was certainly a solid wine. After placing our order, we were gifted a magmum bottle, normally priced at €34. We ended up opening it later during our trip with a BBQ at our villa. Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of it.

Barolo La Morra 2021

Next came the first Barolo: La Morra 2021. The name refers to the village where the vineyard is located. It's their entry-level Barolo, but it already impressed. 2021 is considered an excellent vintage in Piedmont, and at just €25, this was an easy buy. I took four bottles.

Barolo Serra dei Turchi 2021

Next up was the Barolo Serra dei Turchi 2021. A step up from the La Morra, and slightly more expensive at €30, but still offering excellent value for money. While also from La Morra, this wine comes from a specific vineyard area: Serra dei Turchi. This gives it a more distinct expression of its terroir compared to a broader village blend.

Barolo Meriame 2019

The final Barolo was the Meriame 2019, from Serralunga d'Alba. Again, the name refers to the vineyard. At €35, the price increases, but so does the quality, in my opinion. And let's be honest, that's still a very fair price for a good Barolo. 2019 is also considered an excellent vintage, comparable to 2021. A useful reference for vintage quality can be found here: Wine Enthusiast Vintage Chart .

Grappa

We also tasted two grappas: a grappa di Nascetta (clear in color) and a grappa di Barolo made from Nebbiolo grapes, with a light brown hue. The Nascetta was slightly sweeter, but both were excellent. Only the Barolo grappa is pictured, the white Nascetta grappa is missing because I offered it from my private collection to the friends of the Italy group after the BBQ.

Our first tasting was a winner right away, an excellent start to the trip, and it made us look forward even more to our next stop: Cascina Sot.