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.