Similar wines to barolo

A Reader asks:

I have a recipe that requires Barolo wine, but I am not sure of the type of wine Barolo is.

Could you tell me what type of Australian wines are similar to Barolo.

Darby Says:

Barolo is one of Italy's most expensive wines, known as the wine of kings, the king of wines so cooking with Barolo would be like marinating Sam Kekovich's lamb chops in Grange. You are right to seek a similar substitute.

Barolo is made from the Nebbiolo grown in a defined area around the village of Barolo in the Piedmont region of NE Italy.

There are many other Nebbiolo wines made in Italy with a less hefty price tag, or there are plenty in Australia. For cooking purposes you can use any full bodied wine as a substitute.

In general I think reccommending a specific wine for cooking is a bit over the top. You are better of using a $10 supermarket wine in the dish and spending the extra money on buying better wine to drink with the food.

Nebbiolo shares some similarities to Pinot Noir. Both need cool climates and both are difficult wines to grow and make well. The body of the wines is in marked contrast to Australian Shiraz and many people don't quite get what the fuss is about when they first try Neb. Top Aussie producers include Arrivo and SC Pannell. Trentham Estate 'la Famiglia' Neb is very good value.

Is your recipe Brasato al Barolo? This is a fine braised Beef recipe a little like Beef Burgundy.

Any Vinodiversity readers are welcome to add their thoughts via the comments link below.

Comments for Similar wines to barolo

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Feb 06, 2017

Drink Barolo style wines with food ???
by: Anonymous

Darby
Mike Hayes here you should try my 2014 Symphony Hill Nebbiolo. It is starting to hit its straps. Delicate whiffs of rose petel and strawberries with touches of tar and dried herbs peeking through. Asertive acid profile with structured tannins adding to a profound flush of dark fruits and violets on the finish. Price $65.00 per bottle. BTW I visited the Barolo on my Churchill Fellowship visit and I found Gattinara and Langhe wines to be outstanding.
Take care and we will catch up for a drink of alyernative wine soon.
Regards

Mike Hayes

May 30, 2013

Other recommendation :)
by: WineLover

If you're searching wine that have very similar characteristic to Barolo DOCG you should try Aglianico Del Vulture DOC.

This wine comes from southern part of Italy, Basilicata region which is also very similar to Piemonte.

Aglianico Del Vulture has high alcohol, high tannins and also quite high acidity. It's good substitute and it's also much cheaper. If you're searching a little better quality wine try Taurasi.

Taurasi is made from the same grape (aglianico) but it's more expensive than Aglianico Del Vulture because the fame of the region.

Mar 12, 2010

Not all Barolo's are expensive
by: Nicole Ifrim

Not every type of Barolo is expansive, as you know there are some "bad" years for Nebbiolo grapes.

So you can find a bottle of Barolo for more or less 15/20 euro, in this one you could use for cooking..half bottle for cooking and the other one for drink...trust me, my husband is an italian chef...a great one

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