(Definitely Not) Any Given Sunday: Our honeymoon visit with Giacosa

As you all know by now, I went off and married my DoBianchi. We have so many things in common, but one of these is our passion for Italian wine. Luckily, Jeremy has a friend/collaborator named Franco Ziliani who not only shares this passion, but writes about it famously.

So strong is the wine geek factor between us, that we chose not to go off to some beautiful beach and laze around on our honeymoon, no no, we headed to the snow-white hills of the Langa (Piemonte: Barolo, Barbaresco). We also went to Montalcino, Bologna, and Rome, but those posts will come eventually.

Sunday morning, married one week, Feb 7 at 10:00 am: Appointment at Giacosa.

Franco met us downstairs at our B&B, Cascine delle Rose (Beautiful! Will post about this place soon) and off we drove to the village of Barolo.

Well, off we drove after a 30 minute effort to get Franco’s car out of the snow…just look at my man and his braccio d’intellettuale!

We were greeted by Giacosa’s enologist Giorgio Lavagna, who said, “Bruno is here too, Bruna is in England.” (Insert inner *squeal*) Jeremy and I shot each other an OMG glance as we followed Franco and Giorgio into the tasting room.

For detailed tasting notes of the loveliness that followed, please see Jeremy’s comprehensive post here. I was on photography duty, Jeremy was on tasting notes duty. Tasting notes part 2 can be found here. Ever the fabulous writer my man is! If you are a fan of Giacosa you simply must take time to read both.

I have to say that I haven’t seen such a beautiful parade of wines before me as I saw in those two days in Piemonte. That morning I smelled graphite, truffles, underbrush, tar, cherries, and flowers, all in an endless competition to jump first from the glass. Every one showing different manifestations of the land through Nebbiolo. What a display of the victory of nurture over nature! Environment influencing the predetermined genetic profile…there was Barolo and there was Barbaresco, different crus within each and different vintages….unique personalities, all of them. This is terroir at it’s most compelling.

Bruno confessed that his fave Barbaresco was that of Asili. As we tasted the ’07, he said, “Hm, you can smell Asili in this wine.” Would I had so many encounters with this cru as to be able to find it under all of that complexity! Maybe one day.

As we finished the tasting, Giorgio invited us to lunch. Bruno sat stoically until we bid him farewell, when he said. “You are a lovely bride! I wish you many good things and much happiness.” Thank you Bruno!

You shared your Sunday morning with us, thanks to Franco, and we will not forget.

We caravaned toward Asti and as we arrived at Enoclub, Giorgio said to the hostess, “Reservation for four, Giacosa.”

Right this way.

Ed. Note: (Definitely Not) Any Given Sunday: Our honeymoon visit with Giacosa originally appeared on Tracie’s blog, My Life Italian. Grazie, Signora Parzen.

Related posts:

1. A Little Light Summer Reading: Hot Off the (Virtual) Press
2. Hotter than a Firecracker: Weekly Roundup of Wine Press

Tags: Barbaresco, Barolo, Bruno Giacosa, Franco ZIliani, Jeremy Parzen, Langa, MyLife Italian, Piemonte, Tracy Parzen