This is Part 6 of Marvels on the Margins, a series of guides on great regions of Italy that are a little off the radar compared to Barolo or Brunello. You can read the introduction to the series here, as well as Part 2 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Part 3 on Trentino-Alto Adige, Part 4 on Aglianico, Part 5 on Friuli and Part 6 The Guide to Mt. Etna.

My favorite Margin?

You’re not supposed to have a favorite child, and I’m probably not supposed to have a favorite Marvel on the Margins. But facts are facts, and when I look through the records of everything that I have drunk in the last few years, one thing is apparent: I have drunk far more Alto Piemonte wines than wines from any of the other regions covered in this series. Objectively speaking, it is clearly my favorite. (That's for red wines. While I'm making confessions, I might as well admit that for white wines, my objective favorite appears to be Friuli, though the countless bottles of Vette and Voglar Sauvignon Blanc that I drink are keeping Alto Adige a close second...)

And so I have saved it for last. It’s been a fun tour around the boot, but this will be the last post in this series. 

The Fish-Nebbiolo Revelation

Now, Alto Piemonte – that cluster of appellations north of Barolo, nestled in the foothills of the Alps – wasn’t always my favorite non-famous wine region of Italy. For years, I treated Alto Piemonte as kind of a "Plan B." It was where you went to scratch your Nebbiolo itch when you didn't want to pay Barolo prices. I respected the wines, sure, but I viewed them as the lighter, rustic cousins of the "real thing" further south.

That all changed around seven or eight years into my wine career. It was around 2013 or 2014. Neal Rosenthal, the legendary importer who had been bringing in the wines of Ferrando (from nearby Carema) since the late 1970s, sensed a shift in the wind. He noticed a renaissance underway in these forgotten hills and decided to take the plunge, adding four new producers to his book all at once. He invited a group of us buyers to taste them.

As we swirled our glasses, Neal said something that stuck with me: "These are amazing wines to drink with fish."

I remember pausing. Nebbiolo with fish? It sounded kind of crazy. Nebbiolo is the grape of truffles, of braised beef, of heavy tannins that strip the enamel off your teeth. Fish? No way.

But as I sat at that seminar, tasting, specifically, Massimo Clerico's Lessona, I realized that Rosenthal was right. The wine was made of Nebbiolo, but wasn't a powerhouse. It was translucent, almost shimmering in the glass. It had the classic tar-and-roses nose of Nebbiolo, but on the palate, it was saline, and incredibly fresh. There were tannins, but they were so silky smooth that they just glided on the palate, practically like white wine. 

The fact is, although both the Langhe and the Alto Piemonte focus primarily on Nebbiolo, they produce very different wines. Because of Alto Piemonte's unique soils and cooler alpine climate, these wines have a velvetiness and a nervous energy that makes them incredibly versatile. 

And let me tell you: any red wine that pairs perfectly with fish is a friend of mine, since it can be very challenging at home to convince my wife to settle for a white! That of course may explain why I have drunk so many wines from this region over the years….

Why Alto Piemonte Matters Now

If you think of Barolo, and to a lesser extent Barbaresco, as the deep, booming bass of Piedmont, Alto Piemonte is the tenor. It hits the high notes.

This is not a region of "baby Barolo." It is a parallel universe of Nebbiolo (locally called Spanna) that offers a completely different expression of the grape. While the Langhe is defined by limestone and clay (which gives power), Alto Piemonte is defined by volcanic rock, marine sand, and glacial moraine. This gives the wines a distinct minerality—a salty, iron-flecked backbone—that you simply don't find in the south. As Alto Piemonte wines age, they develop notes of saffron and dried flowers; Barolo leans more to sage and licorice. 

For a long time, these wines were forgotten, lost to the encroaching forests. But today, they are back. And for those of us who value elegance and freshness in our reds, they are arguably the most exciting wines in Italy.

The History of Alto Piemonte in Four Phases

To truly appreciate the bottle of Alto Piemonte on your table today, you have to understand that it is a miracle it exists at all. This is a region that has died and been reborn. You can think of the history of wine in this corner of Italy as falling into four distinct phases:

Phase I: The Industrial Giant (19th Century)

It is hard to believe now, but in the 1800s, Alto Piemonte was the powerhouse of Piedmontese wine. Historical records put the planted vineyard area at around 40,000 to 45,000 hectares—a staggering figure, especially given that the entire Langhe, home to Barolo and Barbaresco today, covers barely half that. More tellingly, Gattinara and Ghemme actually outranked Barolo and Barbaresco in prestige for much of the 19th century, a fact that is almost impossible to imagine now. Even Count Camillo Cavour, the father of Italian unification and a man not given to hyperbole, declared the wines of Boca the equal of the great crus of Burgundy.

Then came the catastrophe. Phylloxera arrived in the late 19th century and devastated the vineyards. A brutal frost in 1905 finished off what the aphids had started. The depression and two world wars followed. It all proved to be too much for the region. 

Phase II: The Vallana Era (1950s–1970s)

After the wars, while the region was shrinking, one name kept the flame alive: Vallana. Bernardo Vallana and his son Antonio were making legendary wines labeled simply as "Spanna" (the local name for Nebbiolo).
I have a distinct memory of being in Turin, visiting a wine agent who often sources gems for me. He poured red wine from a decanter and asked me to guess. It was deep, rich, and brimming with mature notes of leather and spice. Was it an old Conterno? A Giacosa? There was something "different" about it—a darkness and a brooding power—that I couldn't quite place.

It turned out to be a 1950s Vallana. But wait, you careful readers may be asking. Aren't wines from this corner of the world supposed to be lighter and more translucent? How could this wine have been dark and brooding?

Well, the "open secret" among wine historians is that these wines were likely not 100% Nebbiolo. The rumor—which has never been officially confirmed but is widely accepted—is that they blended in robust southern grapes like Aglianico or Syrah, brought up by train from the south, to add color and structure. Was it "legal"? Probably not. Was it genius? Absolutely. These wines are virtually indestructible, and they remain some of the greatest Italian wines of the 20th century. We still occasionally come across bottles and offer them to our newsletter subscribers, so do be sure to sign up if you haven't already.

Phase III: The Great Abandonment (1980s–1990s)

This was the dark age. The post-war economic boom in northern Italy was driven by textiles. Factories for luxury brands like Zegna and Loro Piana sprang up in the valleys of Biella and Vercelli, offering steady paychecks and heated workrooms. This was, and remains, one of the great textile manufacturing centers of the world—which is precisely why it became one of the great viticultural disasters.

Farmers looked at their steep, terraced vineyards—which required back-breaking manual labor—and then looked at the factories. They dropped their pruning shears and walked away. The forest, which is aggressive in this wet, Alpine climate, reclaimed nearly 90% of the vineyard land. The "industrial giant" of the 19th century was reduced to fewer than 1,000 hectares. The region was almost dead.

Phase IV: The Renaissance (2000s–Present)

The revival started slowly, driven by climate change (which made ripening Nebbiolo in the north considerably easier) and a group of "Young Turks" like Cristiano Garella, who saw the potential in the old, abandoned plots.

An explosion of interest among American importers followed; hence, the amazing seminar I attended with Neal Rosenthal. More generally, I was seeing an increasing number of delicious Ghemmes, Gattinaras, Lessonas and the like at my table. Crucially, outside investors began to arrive as well. Paolo De Marchi, the legendary proprietor of Isole e Olena in Chianti Classico, bought land in Lessona in 1999 and launched Proprietà Sperino—an arrival that put the region on the radar of the Italian fine wine world.

But the moment the whole world really started to pay attention was 2018. That was the year Roberto Conterno—the legendary producer of Giacomo Conterno in Barolo—bought the historic Nervi estate in Gattinara. Nervi is not just any estate; it is one of the classic wineries of the region, founded in 1906, with a cellar full of old vintages going back decades.

When a Conterno invests in a region, it is arguably no longer a "margin." While the Nervi-Conterno wines are now quite expensive (you might think of him as the Egon Müller of the region), his arrival shone a spotlight on Alto Piemonte that has lifted every boat. 

Land prices tell the story most vividly. Twenty-five years ago or so, you could buy a hectare of Gattinara in the 20,000 - 30,000 euro range. Now, prices are close to 100,000. (Note that this is still a tiny fraction of 2 million euros you might pay for a hectare of Barolo, so I think the “margin” label still holds….for now.) 

The Grapes: It's Not Just Spanna

While Nebbiolo is the local “noble” grape, one big distinction between this region and the Langhe is that here, the Nebbiolo is often blended with other grapes. Here are the grapes of the region that you need to know:

Spanna (Nebbiolo)

Here, Nebbiolo goes by the local name Spanna. Because of the acidic soils (volcanic/sand) and the cooler climate, Spanna behaves differently than it does in the Langhe. It is generally higher in acidity and lower in alcohol. The tannins, while present, are often finer and "smoother" than the broad, muscular tannins of Barolo. It is higher-definition Nebbiolo.

Vespolina 

Vespolina is kind of the Dolcetto of the region. It's what the locals are drinking. And it's very smart of them to do so! I absolutely love the sheer drinkability and versatility of this grape—go ahead, drink it with fish, or just about anything else you have on your plate. Vespolina is genetically related to Nebbiolo, but it has a chemical compound called rotundone. That happens to be the same compound that gives Syrah its distinct, peppery spice, and you get a bit of that vibe in Vespolina as well.

Vespolina tends to be very nicely priced. I can't recall ever paying more than $25 for a bottle. And you get a really nice bottle of wine!

Croatina & Uva Rara

You will often see these two listed in blends (especially in Boca or Ghemme). They are the "comfort" grapes. Croatina (often called "Bonarda" locally) adds dark fruit, color, and a bit of rustic tannin. Uva Rara (literally "Rare Grape") is used to soften the blend, adding perfume and approachability to the sometimes austere Spanna.

The Lay of the Land: A Tour of the Villages

Alto Piemonte is not one monolithic block. It is a scattered collection of small appellations spread across the foothills of the Alps, separated by the Sesia River and dense forests. The entire region sits in the shadow of Monte Rosa—at 4,634 meters, the second-highest peak in the Alps—whose glaciers funnel cool air down into the valleys each afternoon, tempering the summer heat and extending the growing season in ways that benefit late-ripening Nebbiolo enormously.

To understand the wines, you have to look at the soils. This region is a geological violent collision: a supervolcano that collapsed roughly 300 million years ago, its caldera now filled with layers of porphyritic rock, mixed with ancient marine sands and glacial debris. The resulting soils are among the most acidic in the world for viticulture—pH values of 4.3 and 4.4 in some vineyards, compared to the pH 7 limestone of Barolo. This extreme acidity drives intense mineral uptake in the vines and produces wines where the structure comes less from tannin than from this iron-rich, ferrous minerality. It is a completely different kind of architecture.
Here is your cheat sheet to the key villages:

1. Gattinara: The Queen (Volcanic Rock)

If I had to pick one village from this region to drink for the rest of my life, it would be Gattinara.

This is the most famous appellation for a reason, and it is the most ancient. Vineyards here were originally planted by the Roman Empire in the 2nd century BC—Gattinara had a reputation as a wine town for two full millennia before it became a DOCG in 1990. Located on the west bank of the Sesia River in the province of Vercelli, Gattinara today covers just over 100 hectares of hillside vineyards, a fraction of what it once was.

The soils here are the defining feature: pure, reddish-brown volcanic porphyry, rich in iron and minerals, with a granitic crunchiness that gives the wines their distinctive gravelly backbone. There is essentially no limestone, no clay—just crumbling volcanic rock that forces the vines to dig deep and produce wines with that iron-flecked, almost blood-like minerality that Gattinara is famous for.

The wine itself must be made from at least 90% Nebbiolo (up to 4% Vespolina and 6% Uva Rara are permitted) and must age for a minimum of 35 months, of which 24 must be in wood. Riserva wines require a full 47 months, with 35 in oak. This is a serious aging commitment—and it produces serious wines.

Serious, yes, but also silky! This is why Gattinara is the Queen and not the King. The tannins are so fine. They are gravelly, they are mineral, they are silk. Even when young, they do not present the chunky, chewy, austere tannins that you get in many young Barolos. This is due to the absence of limestone and clay -- see more about his in the notes on Ghemme below. 

A word about Travaglini, practically a literal elephant in the room: of the approximately 100 hectares of approved Gattinara vineyards, the Travaglini family owns a staggering 60. They have been the dominant force in the appellation since Clemente Travaglini founded the estate in 1920, with his grandson Giancarlo transforming it into the global face of Gattinara in 1958.

That same year, Giancarlo designed and patented the winery's signature asymmetrical bottle — and New Yorkers may be interested to know that it now lives in the permanent collection at MoMA. The curve is not just aesthetic: the angled shoulder traps sediment so the wine can be poured directly without decanting, and the dark glass shields it from light. It is, by any measure, a genuinely clever piece of design.

It’s worth remembering that just a short drive west from Gattinara, in the town of Ivrea, the Olivetti company was busy revolutionizing global design with their iconic, sleek typewriters -- examples of which can also be found at the MoMA!. Olivetti would go on to produce the first personal computer -- before IBM or Apple. One cannot help but imagine an alternate timeline in which that region becomes an international center for design and technology (as well as wine!). Now, in our time line, we at least still have bottles of Travaglini to enjoy! 

Beyond the packaging, Travaglini is the global ambassadors for the region, producing highly reliable, approachable, and age-worthy Gattinara that serves as a perfect introduction to Alto Piemonte

2. Ghemme: The King (Glacial Moraine)

Directly across the Sesia River from Gattinara lies Ghemme, and the contrast between the two villages is one of the most instructive comparisons in all of Italian wine. Ghemme received DOCG status in 1997—seven years after Gattinara—and covers about 85 hectares of vineyards in the communes of Ghemme and Romagnano Sesia, at elevations around 300 meters. The history here is even older than its neighbor: archaeological evidence and ancient writings suggest vineyards were cultivated in the Ghemme area as far back as the 5th century BC, centuries before the Romans arrived in Gattinara.

Despite all that, this is considered an inferior -- a very slightly inferior -- village to Gattinara. That's why it's merely the King, rather than the Queen. Personally, I love them both (don't read too much into that).

The soil here changes dramatically from Gattinara. Instead of pure volcanic porphyry, Ghemme sits on glacial moraine—the geological debris left behind by ancient glaciers: a complex mixture of rocks, sand, and clay deposited over thousands of years as the ice retreated from the Alps.

That clay content makes all the difference. Such a difference, in fact, that Ghemme represents a general exception to the entire thesis of this guide. And that exception is this: Ghemme is weirdly like the Barolos of Serralunga. They are still different. The licorice of Serralunga is more pronounced. The Ghemmes have more "air". But Ghemmes, unlike every other wine from Alto Piemonte, has chewy tannins, deep cherry notes, and a touch of licorice, just like you'll find in Serralunga. That's the clay, abundant in both villages. 

Just for example, the Ioppa Ghemme 2019 tastes something like a $80 Serralunga Barolo to me, and it is $50. To put it crudely.

Ok, there's another part of Italy that clarifies this volcano versus clay concept very nicely, also covered in this series. Gattinara has volcanic soils but no clay/limestone. That's also true of Vulture in Campania. Meanwhile, Taurasi's volcanic soils sit on a bedrock of limestone and clay. If you (maybe after reading my Aglianico guide?) experimented with Vulture versus Taurasi you will see that Taurasi is chewy like Serralunga and Vulture is silky like Alto Piemonte....except Ghemme, which seems to be the Taurasi of Alto Piemonte. Maybe all these analogies are confusing, and you should just taste Gattinara and Ghemme side by side and enjoy their differences!

There are a few good producers in Ghemme (see the producer guide below), but the key producer to know in Ghemme is Cantalupo, whose Ghemme Collis Breclemae is perhaps the finest wine the appellation produces. Often available with several years of aging, it is one of the best buys in Italian wine. (Do I need to remind you again to sign up for our newsletter to be sure of getting good opportunities to buy this wine at discounted prices?).

3. Lessona: The Elegant One (Marine Sand)

This is the source of my "fish pairing" epiphany, and the more I learn about Lessona, the more convinced I become that it is the most intellectually interesting appellation in all of Alto Piemonte. The numbers alone are staggering in their improbability: Lessona has only about 20 hectares of vineyards. Total. This makes it not just one of the smallest DOCs in Piedmont, but one of the smallest in all of Italy. And yet the wines it produces can be absolutely transcendent.

The reason lies in the soil. Lessona sits on ancient marine sands—Pliocene deposits, essentially a fossilized seabed from millions of years ago. These yellow and red-ochre sandy soils are among the most acidic in the region (pH around 4.3), and they drain beautifully, forcing the vines to stress productively and produce small quantities of intensely flavored, aromatic fruit. If Gattinara is the Barolo of the north, Lessona is unquestionably the Burgundy. The sandy soils produce wines that are pale, incredibly perfumed, and silky—wines that prioritize finesse over force. That's why you can serve them with fish.

Tenute Sella is the beating heart of Lessona, and has been for a remarkably long time: the family founded their estate in 1671, making them one of the oldest continuously operating wine estates in Italy. More remarkably, the prized Sella vineyard at San Sebastiano allo Zoppo—the hillside that rises to the highest point in the Lessona township—has documented vineyard history going back to 1436. That's nearly six centuries of Nebbiolo on the same sandy hillside. Sella farms roughly 7 hectares in Lessona, about half the entire appellation, and their Lessona San Sebastiano allo Zoppo remains one of the reference wines of the region.

The other transformative arrival in Lessona was Proprietà Sperino, the estate created by Paolo De Marchi—whose father founded the legendary Isole e Olena estate in Chianti Classico—after he purchased land here in 1999. De Marchi's investment, alongside Künzli's work in Boca around the same time, was one of the first signals to the outside world that something extraordinary was possible in Alto Piemonte. His wines are brilliant and helped put the appellation on the international map well before the Conterno era.

4. Boca: The Wild One (High-Altitude Porphyry)

The story of Boca is the story of one man, one old farmer, and a bet against extinction. And it is a story worth telling in full.

Boca is located at the highest elevations of the region, in the northeastern corner of Piedmont, at altitudes ranging up to 500 meters. The vineyards here are carved into steep volcanic cliffs of porphyry—the same pink-red volcanic rock found in Gattinara, but at greater altitude, surrounded by thick forest and cool mountain air. The wines produced are feral, complex, and unlike anything else: there is often a wild, animale quality to a good Boca, along with a pronounced citrus note—particularly blood orange—and a dusty, mineral dryness on the finish that is immediately identifiable. Boca was established as a DOC in 1969, and by regulation must contain 70–90% Nebbiolo with the balance in Vespolina and Uva Rara.

In the 19th century, Boca was covered in vineyards. Count Cavour himself—one of the central players in both Italian unification and historic Barolo—declared it the equal of the great crus of Burgundy. But phylloxera, war, economic depression, and the lure of the factories stripped it bare. By the early 1990s, fewer than 10 hectares of vines remained in the entire appellation. Wild grapevines had literally wound themselves into the branches of the forest trees, the only survivors of what had once been an ocean of vineyards.

Enter Christoph Künzli, a Swiss wine merchant, and his enologist partner Alexander Trolf. In the late 1980s, they were introduced to Boca by Paolo De Marchi—see above the section on Lessona—and went to taste the wines of Antonio Cerri, one of the very last people still producing wine in the zone. Cerri was in his early 80s, had no heirs, and was ready to retire. His cellar still had barrels from decades past, and the wines in those barrels were extraordinary. Künzli and Trolf were smitten.

When Cerri died in 1997, at the age of 84, Künzli acted. Together with a group of international wine lovers as co-investors, he acquired Cerri's small vineyard (barely half a hectare), his cellar, his old barrel stock, and a crumbling farmhouse at the center of it all. Over the following years, they painstakingly cleared the forest from ancient terraces—conducting what became, in Künzli's telling, some 90 separate property transactions—gradually assembling an estate now totaling about 8 hectares. Le Piane was born.

The wines aged in Cerri's old barrels turned out to be astonishing (if you shopped with us about ten years ago, you may have had a chance to purchase a few bottles!), and Le Piane's Boca—made from 85% Nebbiolo and 15% Vespolina, aged in large Slavonian oak casks for three to four years—has become recognized not just as the benchmark wine of Alto Piemonte, but as one of the great Nebbiolo-based wines of Italy. Antonio Galloni of Vinous called Le Piane "one of Italy's undiscovered jewels." Monica Larner of the Wine Advocate declared it "a true treasure not only for Piedmont but for Italian wine in general." These are not understatements.

5. Bramaterra: The Spicy One (Porphyry & Iron Sand)

Before Bramaterra was designated a DOC in 1979, the wine of the region was known simply as "Vino dei Canonici"—the Wine of the Clergy. It is a wonderfully telling nickname. For generations, the priests and canons of northern Piedmont considered these wines the finest table wines of the region, worth hoarding in ecclesiastical cellars. They were onto something.

Bramaterra lies at roughly 400 meters elevation, neighboring Lessona to the west but sitting on soils that are fundamentally different: instead of Lessona's ancient marine sands, Bramaterra rests on crumbling, iron-rich porphyritic volcanic rock—the same family of soil as Gattinara and Boca, but with a sandier, more granular texture. The color of the soil here is a vivid red-brown, and that iron content transmits directly into the wines as a ferrous, sanguine minerality that makes them pulse with energy on the palate. The regulations for Bramaterra allow a higher percentage of blending grapes than most Alto Piemonte DOCs, with Nebbiolo required at a minimum of just 50% and the remainder typically composed of Croatina and Vespolina—a richer, spicier composite than you get in the purer Spanna-dominated appellations.

The result is wines that sit roughly halfway on the spectrum between Gattinara's structured austerity and Lessona's perfumed elegance, but with a distinctive spiciness and salinity—that "nervous energy," as I like to call it—that makes them vibrate on the palate in a particularly satisfying way. The Colombera & Garella Bramaterra from the Cascina Cottignano vineyard, which sits at 350 meters on soils with a pH of just 4.4, is the reference wine for understanding what this combination of altitude, acidity, and volcanic iron can produce.

(Note: You will also see wines labeled Coste della Sesia or Colline Novaresi. These are the catch-all DOCs for younger vines or wines made outside the strict village boundaries. They are often excellent values and perfect for everyday drinking—Colombera & Garella's Coste della Sesia is a particular favorite of mine, a vivid, peppery Nebbiolo that regularly overdelivers for the price. You might also come across wines labeled Fara or Sizzano—two other villages that produce tiny amounts of wine and deserve exploration. Fara, in particular, has a documented history going back to Roman times and today has only about 20 hectares and a single bottler keeping the flame alive.)

The Producers: Who to Know

The landscape of producers in Alto Piemonte is small but mighty. Here are the names you need to know to start your drinking and collecting.

The Benchmark: Nervi-Conterno (Gattinara) Since Roberto Conterno took over in 2018, this has become the undisputed "First Growth" of the region. The winery itself is one of the oldest in Gattinara, and the cellars hold back-vintage wines dating decades into the past. Conterno's winemaking here is pristine, polished, and magnificent. The wines are also expensive. Conterno knows he is the best, and he charges accordingly (much like Egon Müller in the Saar). I view these wines as the "special occasion" bottles that set the standard for what the region can achieve.

The Historic Keeper: Vallana (Maggiora) If you want to taste history, drink Vallana. They are still making wines, and you can often buy 10-year-old examples for not much money – like the 2016 Campo Raudii that we have in stock in New York as of the date of publication. Definitely try their 1950s Spanna (possible enhanced with Aglianico) if you ever come across a bottle. 

The Modern Classicists These are the producers who kept the region alive during the quiet years and are making incredible wines today.

• Antoniolo (Gattinara): A reference point for fairly traditional Gattinara. Their single-vineyard Gattinaras—Osso San Grato, San Francesco, and Castelle—are extraordinary, representing some of the finest expressions of traditional Gattinara available today.
  
  

• Cantalupo (Ghemme): The undisputed benchmark for Ghemme. The Arlunno family has been making wine here for generations. Their single-vineyard Collis Breclemae is a masterclass in the broader, earthier style of the village.

• Travaglini (Gattinara): You probably know them by their unmistakable, crooked bottle. They are the global ambassadors for the region, producing highly reliable, approachable, and age-worthy Gattinara that serves as a perfect introduction to Alto Piemonte.

• Proprietà Sperino (Lessona): Run by Paolo De Marchi, the legendary winemaker behind Isole e Olena in Chianti Classico, who returned to his family's historical roots in Lessona. His pristine, elegant wines have been a massive driving force in putting the appellation back on the map.

• Tenute Sella (Lessona): With documented history going back to 1671 and vines on the San Sebastiano allo Zoppo hill with documented roots to 1436, Sella is one of the oldest continuously operating wine estates in Italy. Their Lessona captures everything magical about that appellation.

• Ioppa (Ghemme): One of the oldest family estates in Ghemme, dating back to the mid-1800s. They deliver fiercely traditional, structured wines that also happen to be fantastic values.

• Le Piane (Boca): As described above, Christoph Künzli saved the Boca appellation from extinction. His flagship Boca is wild, dense, and brilliant—among the great Nebbiolo-based wines of Italy.
  
  
• The Rosenthal Class: Clerico, Rovellotti & Noah Since Neal Rosenthal's portfolio expansion was such a pivotal moment for the region's presence in America, these three producers deserve a special shoutout:
  
  
•  Massimo Clerico (Lessona) His Lessona was the wine that triggered my "Nebbiolo with fish" epiphany. This is a tiny, historic estate producing incredibly soulful, silky, and traditional wines that exemplify the elegant potential of the region.
  
  
• Rovellotti (Ghemme): Located right inside the ancient castle of Ghemme. Their wines are deeply traditional, terroir-driven, and possess an old-school charm that requires a few years in the cellar to fully unpack.
  
  
• Noah (Bramaterra / Coste della Sesia): Founded by Andrea Mosca and Giovanna Folonari. This is a tiny micro-production estate making incredibly vibrant, energetic wines that perfectly capture the fresh, rocky nature of the soils.

The New Wave: Colombera & Garella (Bramaterra/Lessona) Cristiano Garella is the boy wonder of Alto Piemonte. After spending five years as head winemaker at Tenute Sella in Lessona, he started his own label in 2010 with his long-time friend Giacomo Colombera, whose family had been growing grapes in Bramaterra since the early 1990s. Together they now farm 7 hectares between the two appellations. These wines are full of energy, purity, and "drinkability." The Bramaterra Cascina Cottignano is the wine I reach for when I want to explain what Alto Piemonte is all about to a skeptic.

Buying, Drinking, and Food Pairing

One of the great joys of Alto Piemonte is that the drinking window is wider than in the Langhe.

Drink Now: You can open wines labeled Coste della Sesia, Colline Novaresi, or any pure Vespolina immediately. They are fresh, spicy, and alive right out of the gate.

Hold: The top Gattinara and Ghemme wines are serious. They have the structure of Barolo and truly need 10+ years to show their gravelly, mineral soul. If you open a young Gattinara, decant it. The very best examples—Nervi-Conterno, Antoniolo Osso San Grato—can age for 20 to 40 years without blinking.

Drink or Hold: Wines from the other three major villages—Lessona, Boca, and Bramaterra—are usually quite approachable on release, but they do improve over the course of a few years and will keep far longer.

The "Fish Rule" (and what to eat)

As Neal Rosenthal taught me, these wines are the ultimate red for seafood.

The Match: Think "meaty" fish. Grilled swordfish, seared tuna, or salmon. The high acidity of the Spanna cuts through the oiliness of the fish, while the softer tannins don't clash with the protein. The cool-climate acidity essentially functions like a squeeze of lemon, bringing freshness and contrast without the metallic clang you get when you pair a tannic Barolo with seafood.

The Classics: Of course, they also love the food of the mountains. Polenta with mushrooms, braised beef, or the local Paniscia—a rich, deeply satisfying risotto made with red beans, sausage, and salami that is the signature dish of Novara, the provincial capital of this part of Alto Piemonte. It is winter food for winter wines, and it is magnificent.

The Future

Look at the graphic of the product in Alto Piemonte. You can see from the inset that a renaissance is underway, but that we have an awfully long way to go before we come anywhere close to producing what they made in the 19th century. Of course, that shouldn’t be the goal. People drink less wine across the world, and the focus today is more on quality than quantity. With the likes of Roberto Conterno moving in, you can be assured that the quality is there, and that things are only going to get better. It has been a joy watching this region re-emerge throughout the course of my wine career, and I’m convinced that its best years are still to come.  

Key Takeaways

The "Fish Red": Unlike the tannic monsters of the south, Alto Piemonte Nebbiolo has higher acidity and finer tannins, making it the perfect red wine pairing for swordfish, tuna, and salmon.

The Grapes: Spanna (Nebbiolo)—the noble grape, elegant and mineral-driven. Vespolina—the spicy, peppery blending grape (and a great value solo act). Croatina & Uva Rara—the supporting cast that adds fruit, depth, and approachability.

The Villages: Gattinara (volcanic porphyry, powerful, structured—The King). Ghemme (glacial moraine, earthier and richer—The Queen). Lessona (marine sand, ethereally elegant—The Burgundy). Boca (high altitude porphyry, wild and feral). Bramaterra (iron-rich volcanic sand, spicy and vibrant).

The History: A region that went from roughly 40,000-45,000 hectares in the 19th century to near-extinction (under 1,000 hectares in the 1990s) to a modern renaissance led by producers like Roberto Conterno, Christoph Künzli, Paolo De Marchi, and Cristiano Garella.

The Soil: Volcanic porphyry, glacial moraine, and ancient marine sand—all of them radically acidic compared to Barolo's limestone, giving the wines their distinct iron-driven minerality and their extraordinary affinity for food.

Frequently Asked Questions about Alto Piemonte

What is the difference between Barolo and Alto Piemonte?

While both use the Nebbiolo grape, Barolo (in the Langhe) has limestone and clay soils and a warmer climate, producing wines with more body, alcohol, and broad tannins. Alto Piemonte has volcanic and acidic soils and a cooler alpine climate, producing wines with higher acidity, lighter color, and finer, more mineral-driven tannins. The two regions share a grape but are otherwise almost nothing alike.

What is Spanna?

Spanna is simply the local name for the Nebbiolo grape in Alto Piemonte. It is the exact same grape variety as used in Barolo, but grown in a radically different climate and soil, which produces a strikingly different wine.

Why are Alto Piemonte wines good with fish?

Because of the acidity. The cooler climate preserves malic and tartaric acid in the grapes. This acidity acts like a squeeze of lemon, cutting through the oils of rich fish like salmon or tuna. Additionally, the tannins are generally softer, avoiding the metallic taste that happens when you pair big tannic reds with seafood.

What is Vespolina?

Vespolina is a native red grape often blended with Nebbiolo. It is known for its intense spicy aroma—specifically white and black pepper, caused by a chemical compound called rotundone, the same compound responsible for Syrah's peppery character—along with bright red fruit. It adds aromatic lift and spice to the more austere Nebbiolo, and is increasingly being bottled on its own as a lively, affordable table wine.

Is Gattinara a grape?

No, Gattinara is a place (a village and DOCG). The wine labeled "Gattinara" is made primarily from the Nebbiolo grape (Spanna), with a small allowance for Vespolina and Uva Rara.

Who is Roberto Conterno and why does he matter?

Roberto Conterno is the owner of Giacomo Conterno in Barolo, arguably the most prestigious and expensive winery in Italy. In 2018, he purchased the Nervi estate in Gattinara—the oldest winery in the region, founded in 1906. His investment validated Alto Piemonte as a world-class wine region and brought global attention to the area in a way nothing else could have.

How long should I age Gattinara?

Gattinara is built for the long haul. While modern styles are more approachable earlier, top examples (like Nervi-Conterno, Antoniolo Osso San Grato, or Travaglini Riserva) can easily age for 20-40 years. For peak enjoyment, give them at least 8-10 years from the vintage date—and decant if you open them young.

What is the "Supervolcano"?

Alto Piemonte sits in the caldera of a fossilized supervolcano that collapsed roughly 300 million years ago. This ancient geological event created the porphyry (volcanic rock) soils found in Gattinara, Boca, and Bramaterra, which give the wines their distinct iron-like mineral quality and their extraordinary, almost bone-dry texture. It is the foundational geological fact of the entire region, and why you cannot simply replicate Alto Piemonte wines anywhere else on earth.

Jeff Patten is one of the founders of Flatiron Wines. He has been buying and selling wine, and exploring wine country, for over 20 years, and drinking and collecting it for far longer. He is WSET certified (level 2).