Langhe Riesling DOC is Piemonte's take on one of the world's most aromatic white grapes. While Riesling (Riesling Renano) is otherwise associated with Germany and Alsace, here you find it planted in the Langhe hills in the province of Cuneo, in the middle of the landscape best known for Barolo and Barbaresco. That makes for an intriguing context: a high-acid, fragrant grape grown in an area otherwise dominated by Nebbiolo.
Langhe DOC is a broad regional appellation covering around 94 municipalities in the Langhe hills. It serves as a kind of umbrella designation in the land of Barolo and Barbaresco, encompassing both pure varietal wines and wines declassified from the narrower appellations. For a Langhe Riesling, this means the wine must consist of at least 85% Riesling, while up to 15% can come from other permitted grapes. The minimum alcohol requirement is 11.5% vol.
Precisely because Riesling is a grape that faithfully reflects its soil, the Piemontese versions become an interesting counterpart to the classic German and Alsatian styles. Here the grape's naturally high acidity and aromatic expression meet a northwestern Italian terroir, and the result speaks to you if you fancy exploring Riesling from a less expected angle.
When it comes to pairing it with food, a fresh, high-acid white like this works well with lighter dishes, fish and shellfish, as well as cuisines where a bit of acidity lifts and balances. If you want to understand Langhe beyond the big red names, Langhe Riesling is a good place to begin. It is a white wine that holds both geographical curiosity and a familiar pleasure in the grape.