Barolo and Barbaresco: The King and Queen of Italian Wine [Hardcover]

Following on the success of her books on Brunello di Montalcino, renowned author and wine critic Kerin OKeefe takes readers on a historic and in-depth journey to discover Barolo and Barbaresco, two of Italys most fascinating and storied wines. In this groundbreaking new book, OKeefe gives a comprehensive overview of the stunning side-by-side growing areas of these two world-class wines that are separated only by the city of Alba and profiles a number of the fiercely individualistic winemakers who create structured yet elegant and complex wines of remarkable depth from Italys most noble grape, Nebbiolo.

A masterful narrator of the aristocratic origins of winemaking in this region, OKeefe gives readers a clear picture of why Barolo is called both the King of Wines and the Wine of Kings. Profiles of key Barolo and Barbaresco villages include fascinating stories of the families, wine producers, and idiosyncratic personalities that have shaped the area and its wines and helped ignite the Quality Wine Revolution that eventually swept through all of Italy.

The book also considers practical factors impacting winemaking in this region, including climate change, destructive use of harsh chemicals in the vineyards versus the gentler treatments used for centuries, the various schools of thought regarding vinification and aging, and expansion and zoning of vineyard areas. Readers will also appreciate a helpful vintage guide to Barolo and Barbaresco and a glossary of useful Italian wine terms.

Kerin OKeefe is the author ofBrunello di Montalcino(UC Press, 2012) and ofFranco Biondi Santi: The Gentleman of Brunello(Veronelli Editore, 2005). She is the Italian Editor forWine Enthusiastmagazine, and her numerous articles on Italian wine have been published in top industry publications, includingThe World of Fine WineandDecanter.

Part narrative history, part guidebook, Kerin OKeefes exuberant englc