So last, but not least, in the winemaker profiles for the Lazenne WineCheck Giveaway is a very good friend of mine. I first met Gianni Doglia about 12 years ago, when my mum and dad first started making trips out to Piemonte. Not sure if he knows this, but it was actually him and his family that first inspired me to get more involved with wine as a hobby. Infectious passion and enthusiasm, always smiling (except when it hails!), and the most glorious view from a cellar I’d ever seen. I’m so glad he’s a part of this.
Gianni’s winery is based in a little place called Coazzolo, not too far away from Neive where Fabrizio Francone is. He’s right up in the hills, and his different plots mean he can grow a lot of different varieties, but we’ve selected three Piemontese classics, that he nails, to make sure the WineCheck is full of the right goodies for you all…
Barbera D’Asti DOC “Bosco Donne” 2014
We’ve banged on about Barbera before, as all the winemakers in this series make one. It really is Piemonte’s bread and butter red wine. What Gianni does here is to age the wine for a short period of time in steel tanks instead of oak barrels. It gives the wine time to calm down, let the tannins and alcohol become less harsh, but keeps hold of all the fresh fruit flavour. Like fruity reds? You’ll love this! It’s got pasta ragu written all over it!
Grignolino 2015
This one’s a real Piemontese speciality. Most wine geeks haven’t heard of this one, but I’ve loved it ever since I first tried it nearly 10 years ago. I’ll not lie, it can be a bit of a Marmite wine, you either love it or you hate it, but you’ll never know before you try. Very tannic, very fruity, I like this lunchtime red chilled with a bowl of bresoala salad.
Moscato D’Asti 2015
Gianni makes a bit of an art form of Moscato. For years it was seen as a bit of low class sweet sparkling dessert wine. These days, with winemakers like Gianni it’s becoming a bit of a superstar all over again. It’s also one of the only wines in the world that actually smells of grapes! So there’s something. Enjoy in the afternoon with a piece of cake.
So there are the wines, time to move onto the Q&A…
Can You Tell Us A Little Bit About Your Wines In The Competition?
We cultivate vineyards and produce wines aspiring to obtain the top of quality, We try to produce wines that are rich in personality and that aspire to be confined at the summit of the singular denominations
What’s The Best Tip You Could Give Anyone On Enjoying Wine?
Taste and drink with joy many and different wines!
You’ve Got A Weekend In Piemonte, What Would You Do?
The first day, I would travel through the Unesco heritage piedmontese hills, visiting 3 different cellars in 3 different production areas (Nebbiolo, Barbera, Moscato)
The second day, I would visit Torino and its fantastic attractions!
Obviously, I cannot miss lunch and dinner at some fantastic tipical piedmontese restaurants!
If You Weren’t A Wine Maker, What Would You Be?
Helicopter Pilot!!
Helicopter pilot??? Seriously??? Not sure I’d volunteer for that trip 🙂
So that completes our four winemaker profiles. You’ve seen the WineCheck and read about all 12 wines in the prize. Nothing stopping you now then is there!
Sign up now for a chance to win!
Cheers
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A Huge Thanks To The Producers Involved
Demarie (Vezza D’Alba), Francone (Neive), Rivetto (Serralunga D’Alba), Doglia (Coazzolo)
Terms and Conditions
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. ONLINE ENTRY ONLY. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. States and D.C., the UK, and other countries where wine can be shipped from Italy. Ages 21 and older. The Sweepstakes Period begins on February 3, 2016 and ends at 11:59PM PT on March 17, 2016. There is a limit of one (1) entry, per person throughout the Sweepstakes Period.
Keep up to date with what Gianni and the team are up to on Facebook