Piedmont
Cortese, Arneis, Nebbiolo, Barbera & the Great Wines of the North
Taste through 13 Piedmont wines with your host, and Master of Wine, Yasmeen Jansen.
10 of Piedmont’s Finest Producers:
Bera | Bruno Giacosa | Cascina Galarin | Domenico Clerico | G.D. Vajra | Gaja | La Spinetta | Linea Retta | Poderi Luigi Einaudi | Rocche Costamagna
Monday, July 20th
Session 2: Piedmont
Hosted By Yasmeen Jansen MW
Dinner: 6.00-9.00pm | 13 wines and 4 courses |$265
(Only 14 seats available - private dining room event)
The Burgundy of Italy?
“Piedmont is sometimes described as Italy’s answer to Burgundy, but producers’ masterful work with Nebbiolo in the Langhe hills deserves its own plinth.”
- Chris Mercer, Decanter (2025)
Decanter on Piedmont continued…
The Piedmont wine region is situated in north-eastern Italy. The alps form a prominent backdrop here, bordering the region to the north and west. It’s a hilly region that’s renowned for its fog (or ‘nebbia’, from which the grape variety took its name).
Piedmont’s vineyards in Barolo and Barbaresco have been the subject of intense analysis, and in 2010 the Consorzio approved the MGAs laid out by cartographer Alessandro Masnaghetti, in consultation with many of the winemakers.
This pioneering work for the region delineates the best sites in much the same way as the Burgundian cru system.
The most famous grape variety of the region is the thick-skinned Nebbiolo, however other red varieties include Barbera and Dolcetto.
Muscat is used for Moscato d’Asti, Cortese for Gavi, and Arneis for the whites of Roero and beyond.
Creative tension between tradition and modernity has at times boiled over in Piedmont, as witnessed by the so-called ‘Barolo wars’.
Bartolo Mascarello’s famous ‘No barrique, No Berlusconi’ 1998-vintage label epitomised one traditionalist view, alongside a separate political stance.
‘Tensions have eased in recent years as prosperity and compromise have prevailed,’ wrote Tiziano Gaia for Decanter in 2019.
Piedmont’s climatic diversity and the rise of single-vineyard ‘cru’ wines, alongside prized multi-commune blends, have helped to foster comparisons with Burgundy – even though Nebbiolo differs stylistically to Pinot Noir.
While Barolo and Barbaresco sit atop Italy’s wine classification pyramid, with DOCG status, many top sites are further showcased via ‘MGAs’ – Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva.
There is no premier or grand cru hierarchy, but magic certainly happens when top producers and sites combine.
Meet the host…
Master of Wine: Yasmeen Jansen,
Yasmeen Jansen MW is a specialist medical practitioner, and the development of her expertise in wine began with her involvement in tasting groups with colleagues. Her love affair with wine was cemented when she lived in Italy for two years, during which time she developed an affinity for, and in-depth knowledge of, Italian wines. Yasmeen's passion is for wine education and appreciation, and this has inspired her MW journey. Tastings led by Yasmeen are fun and informative and involve a deeper exploration of the varieties and regions covered.
The Master of Wine qualification indicates that the title recipient has completed the toughest series of examinations on viticulture, wine making styles and techniques, all wine regions, and all pluses and minuses in the marketing of these wines on planet. Then added to this is the requirement for an extraordinary ability to discern the bouquet & flavour nuances caused by the factors above which indicate the wine’s variety, age, wine making techniques used, regions, quality, hygiene and seasonal variations. The title MW is the greatest imprimatur or recognition that the wine world can give to its most able students. After 50 years of Master of Wine graduates there are just 2 in Western Australia and perhaps 24 in Australia.
The Wine List
First Course
2023 Cascina Galarin Barivel Langhe Arneis
2022 Linea Retta Colli Tortonesi DOC Timorasso Derthona
2023 Gaja Rossj-Bass Langhe
Second Course
2023 Cascina Galarin 'Le Querce' Barbera d'Asti
2023 Rocche Costamagna Barbera d'Alba
2015 G.D Vajra Barbera D'Alba Superiore
Third Course
2021 Bruno Giacosa Falletto Dolcetto
2022 Bera Langhe Nebbiolo ‘Mio Vino’
2022 Gaja Sito Moresco Langhe
Fourth Course
2017 Domenico Clerico Ciabot Mentin Barolo
2017 Rocche Costamagna Barolo Roche dell'Annunziata Riserva Bricco Francesco
2015 La Spinetta Barolo Campe
2008 Poderi Luigi Einaudi Nei Cannubi Barolo