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Writer's pictureMassimo Gavello

White or Red—but always Roero

Two wines inextricably linked to the territory.


Present since ancient times in the territory of Roero, wine production is one of the main components of the culture and daily life in this region, whose landscape has been transformed and shaped by the presence of vines.


Roero and Roero Arneis in this way manage to transmit, through the indispensable bond with the territory, the charm and the taste of these hills, causing them to become a place known and appreciated by all lovers of food and wine and wine tourism. Roero e Roero Arneis are the wines that interpret most authentically the terroir of Roero.


THE TERRITORY: FROM ROCCHE TO TANARO


We are in Piemonte, in the province of Cuneo. Roero is that section of land located to the north of Alba, on the left bank of the river Tanaro, between the plain of Carmagnola and the low hills of Asti. As in many other areas of Piemonte, wine production in Roero has a millennial history: wine production has developed, in fact, since before the arrival of the Romans, until the presence of the Liguri, thanks probably to the influence of the Etruscans, and extends with ever increasing intensity up to the present day.


Nevertheless, compared to other neighbouring wine-growing areas, Roero is characterized by a remarkable variety of landscapes with woods and orchards present next to the vines. One of the elements that characterize the landscape of Roero are the Rocche, steep slopes that cut the territory from the South-West to the North-East, from Pocapaglia to Montà, dividing the continental gravel and fluvial clay based soils from those of marine origin, where the vine finds its ideal conditions. In June 2014 the wine-producing landscapes of Roero, along with those of Langhe and Monferrato, were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site since «they are an outstanding living testimony to the historical tradition of the cultivation of grapes, of the wine-producing processes, of a social, rural context, and of an economic fabric based on the culture of wine».

The Roero DOCG area covers the entire administravtive territory of the municipalities of Canale, Corneliano d’Alba, Piobesi d’Alba and Vezza d’Alba, and part of those of Baldissero d’Alba, Castagnito, Castellinaldo, Govone, Guarene, Magliano Alfieri, Montà, Montaldo Roero, Monteu Roero, Monticello d’Alba, Pocapaglia, Priocca, S.Vittoria d’Alba, S.Stefano Roero and Sommariva Perno.


THE PRODUCERS' CONSORTIUM THE UNION OF PRODUCERS FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE TERRITORY


The wine producers of Roero were joined in the Roero Producers’ Consortium (Consorzio di Tutela Roero), acknowledged with a decree published in the Official Gazette, on the 4th of March 2014, with the objective to perform the functions of protection, advancement, promotion, consumer information and general care of the interests related to the “Roero” Docg. The current President of the Consortium is Francesco Monchiero who underlines the importance of the union between producers and of their ability to promote all together not only the wine but the whole territory.


Today there are more than 200 consortium members made up of producers and growers, and more than 1,000 hectares of Roero Denominazione (Designation) vineyards, with a total of about 6 million bottles produced, of which more than 60% are exported.

Arneis and nebbiolo are the two base grapes of the Docg: native grapes, typical of this territory, cultivated for centuries and interpreted with great care by the Roero producers


ROERO DAYS EVENT WINE AND SPLENDOUR AT THE REGGIA DI VENARÌA


More than three thousand wine lovers congregated on the outskirts of Turin

for the fifth edition of Roero Days.

The 2022 edition of Roero Days on the 22-23 May was a great success, bringing more than 3000 visitors to Venarìa Reale on the outskirts of Turin.

Wine lovers and industry professionals, art lovers and the simply curious discovered the new vintages of more than 70 producers while visiting the Savoy palace, thanks to a partnership between the Consorzio di Tutela Roero–the association that protects and promotes Roero wines–and the Reggia di Venarìa.


“It was a very successful edition, providing great satisfaction both for producers and for visitors, as a way to get to know Roero, one of the few denominations in Italy to have two excellent, yet completely different products–white Roero and red DOCG Roero”, stated the president of the Consorzio Tutela Roero, Francesco Monchiero. “This success is attributable without doubt to the location, a marvel of our region and a palace on a level with all the great European residences, but above all else, to the quality of our wines and the success of our DOCG, which increased sales of certified bottles by 30% this year.


In addition to tasting stands, seminars and in-depth presentations on local culture took place.

More than three hundred people took part in tasting sessions with connoisseurs

from the world of wine such as Dario Cappelloni, Gianni Fabrizio, Fabio Gallo, Giancarlo Gariglio, Vittorio Manganelli and Paolo Zaccaria who conducted special vertical tastings of Roero and Roero Arneis; visitors also demonstrated great interest in the “Roero” photography exhibition, curated by Carlo Avataneo.

The presentation of the book “Roero, la civiltà dell’Arneis e del Nebbiolo” by Luciano Bertello and Baldassare Molino was sold out; journalists Mario Calabresi and Carlo Grande also took part.

The fair was the occasion to award recognition as “Pioneers of Arneis” to academics Anna Schneider, Vincenzo Gerbi and Franco Mannini for their achievements in research on ideal Arneis clones. The rich biodiversity of Arneis, a variety whose popularity has exploded in recent times has been safeguarded by their important contribution.

The event closed with a lunch in the Rondò Alfieriano, appropriately decorated for the occasion, attended by 250 industry professionals. The cuisine of rising chefs Andrea Ferrucci (Ristorante Marcelin), Andrea Sperone (Ristorante Belvedere Roero), Davide Sproviero e Fabio Poppa (Ristorante Le Scuderie del Castello) e Stefano Paganini (Ristorante Alla Corte degli Alfieri) was much appreciated. Dishes created for the occasion were in homage to the great classics of Piedmontese cuisine–asparagus, IGP Piemonte hazelnuts, rabbit, Roccaverano DOP Robiola, Fassona beef–all prepared in a contemporary key.


The success of Roero Days confirms growing interest in the denomination and the unequivocal prestige of the fair, which promises to cross regional boundaries at its next edition.


 

ROERO DAYS 2022 | COMPANY FOCUS

White or red, all Roero has the Denomination with Controlled and Guaranteed Origin.


Encounters and interviews during the Roero Days 2022 event.


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