Harvest Celebrations
Harvest basket
Image | Gianni Doglia
After spending a majority of the year pruning, meticulously trimming and caring for each vine as it grows, the critical moment of picking the grapes arrives. The “vendemmia” (harvest) is like the birth of a healthy newborn baby after waiting nine months. The winemakers only feel relief once the grapes are in the cellar! Phew!
Our local grape is Nebbiolo. It has a particularly long growing season and is one of the first plants to flower and the last to be picked. This long ripening season is one of the reasons why Nebbiolo can be so beautifully complex. However, this means a lot of praying to the weather gods that there will be no extreme weather conditions and most of all, no dreaded hail.
In the months of October and beginning of November, it is finally time for post-harvest celebration! I asked a few winemaker friends what they do to celebrate this event and here is what they told me.
BARBARESCO—Marco & Vittorio Adriano | Adriano Vini
Barbaresco harvest toast
Image | Michela Adriano
“Usually the day we finish harvest, we have a huge aperitivo at the winery with salami and cheese with everyone in the cellar. Then later on, we organize a nice dinner with everyone who worked the harvest, most times with white truffles.”
The Adriano family not only makes fantastic Barbaresco but they have their own truffle dogs too! White truffles are at their best in November. Being a luxury food, it is common to celebrate with this special mushroom for a special occasion in the Fall, like the end of harvest.
BAROLO AREA—Marina & Gianni Vaira | La Rosa Gialla
La Rosa Gialla
Image | Valentina Vaira
“After the harvest, it is tradition to eat with the whole family together. We normally have homemade agnolotti ravioli or boiled meats with a traditional green sauce”
Filled pasta in Piemonte was something special, only for Sundays or special occasions. Traditionally, Piedmontese surprisingly ate more polenta and rice than pasta. It takes a lot of love and care to make them, so it is a perfect food for a family gathering. Boiled meats is a common, social type of meal for the family in the winter. The meat itself does not have a lot of taste, but rather it’s the sauces that make this dish interesting. There is a historic festival in a nearby village called Carru' that will be celebrating its 110th anniversary. The oxen are sold early in the morning and they celebrate their business deals by eating boiled meats as early as 5:00!
TORTONA, ALESSANDRIA—Cascina I Carpini
Got enough black truffles?
Paolo shows his black truffles and aged white reserve wine
Image | Paolo Carpini
Paolo and his family indulge in black truffles and homemade tagliatelle after the harvest. If you want heaped quantities like this, black is better for your budget than white. He pairs this meal with a special reserve white wine that he produces called Timorasso. Timorasso is a rare native white varietal from a small area in Alessandria called Tortona, where they are known for their incredible capacity to age. Would you ever have thought to pair aged white wine with black truffles!?
MOSCATO D’ASTI—Gianni Doglia
Moscasto toast—Salute!
Image | Gianni Doglia
The harvest time is a moment of great satisfaction for the whole team, after a year of hard work! Sure it is tiring—after all, it’s a month long harvest. So, when all the grapes are safe and sound in the cellar, our joy is immense! Our collaborators are very important to us and have been by our side for many years. The passion they have unites us all. We always raise our glasses for a toast together! (of Moscato, of course!) — Gianni Doglia, Doglia Winery
Doglia is a winery in the Monferrato Asti area in Piemonte that makes fantastic reds but is mostly known for their Moscato d'Asti. There is nothing more celebratory than the fun, fizzy, dessert wine, Moscato. The family have been given numerous awards for their fantastic Moscatos and their outgoing personalities are reflected in this wine!
As you can see, good food with friends and family is what celebration is all about! In Piemonte, truffles and family gatherings with good wine is of course a standard way to celebrate the hard work after the harvest.
Anna Savino also curates boutique and rare Piemontese wines for her Barolo Wine Club. If you are interested in tasting the wines mentioned in the article feel free to contact her for more information at www.barolowineclub.com or info@barolowineclub.com
