Exploring Roero
Tucked away in its own little corner of Piedmont’s magical hillside landscape, Roero is a world of its own. Rugged terrains, steep vineyards and charming small provincial towns are all part of the makeup of a region that deserves to be more widely discovered.
Roero lies on the opposite side of the Tanaro River from Barbaresco, which is just a few kilometers away. Although there is a high level of diversity in terroirs and microclimates here, the soils of Roero are characterized by a high percentage of sand, with some rock, which gives the wines much of their mid-weight, perfumed personalities, especially when compared to the wines of the neighboring Langhe. In some places, sand is found together with silty soils rich in clay and marine deposits, a combination that confers greater depth and structure. Roero is geologically younger than the Langhe, although it shares the same marine origins. The Rocche, a dramatic 12 kilometer canyon that is the lasting legacy of a massive flood of the Tanaro 200,000 years ago, reveals many of the unique attributes of the land. One of the key differentiators of Roero vis-à-vis nearby appellations is the more diversified approach to agriculture, with vineyards complemented by a healthy amount of fruit trees as well as forests, both of which, sadly, belong to the past in the Langhe, where the all mighty grape has prevailed in what is now a monoculture in many towns.
The Rocche, a dramatic 12 kilometer canyon that stretches from Montà to Bra
Roero excels with Arneis, a fragrant, aromatic white with no pretensions of profoundness that is, however, absolutely delicious if enjoyed a year or two after bottling. Among red grapes, Nebbiolo can be bottled under the simpler Nebbiolo d’Alba appellation or be produced along the more stringent guidelines required for it to be sold as Roero. Barbera can also be quite tasty. Although the top Roero wines are often delicious and well worth seeking out, I often find just as much pleasure in the entry-level Barberas and Nebbiolos, many of which remain very fairly priced.
