Italy (North West)

Piedmont is a powerhouse for quality wine in Italy, with a number of producers, traditional and forward-thinking, leading the charge. Both barolo and barbaresco have been transformed in the last thirty years, so that the old definitions no longer apply. Nebbiolo remains the noble grape but viticulture, vinification - and pricing - have changed irrevocably. Modern wines are elegant, rich and fruit-focused, with a fine veneer of new oak; even traditional wines are less woody and display sleeker tannins than in the days of yore, and the caricature of pruney, blood-coloured and astringent barolo, or of soft-centred and overstretched barbaresco is now consigned to history. The region delivers a multitude of wines from other grapes too, white, red, sweet and sparkling, and a near-unbroken run of good and great vintages since the mid-nineties have added to the appeal.