Love Barolo and Barbaresco? Don't Miss These 4 Piedmont Reds

While Nebbiolo dominates global attention, many of Piedmont's most compelling wines come from grapes that seldom appear on restaurant wine lists.

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Key takeaways

• Barolo and Barbaresco earn their prestige from Nebbiolo, a demanding grape that produces wines known for their structure, aromatic complexity, and aging potential.
• Piedmont is home to a wide range of indigenous red grapes, including Ruchè, Freisa, Dolcetto, and Pelaverga, that showcase the region’s diversity beyond Nebbiolo.
• These lesser-known varieties offer distinctive flavor profiles — from Ruchè’s floral aromatics to Pelaverga’s peppery spice — and often cost less than Piedmont’s most famous wines.

At the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, one of the most compelling wine seminars wasn't about chasing the most collectible bottles or decoding the intricacies of grand cru vineyards. Instead, Charleston wine professionals Miles White and Femi Oyediran invited attendees to look beyond Piedmont's most famous names and discover the region's remarkable diversity. Their seminar, Barolo and Beyond: The Great Reds of Piedmont, served as a reminder that while Barolo and Barbaresco may dominate conversations about northern Italy, some of the region's most exciting wines come from lesser-known grapes that offer complexity, character, and value.

Why Barolo and Barbaresco cost so much

For many wine drinkers, Piedmont begins and ends with Barolo and Barbaresco. Both wines are made exclusively from Nebbiolo, a notoriously finicky grape that ripens late, yields relatively little fruit, and requires careful vineyard management. Add to that the region's steep hillsides, limited vineyard acreage, strict aging regulations, and global demand, and it's easy to understand why prices continue to climb.

As White and Oyediran explained, Piedmont has become one of the world's most sought-after wine regions. Nebbiolo's ability to produce wines of extraordinary structure, aromatic complexity, and longevity has earned comparisons to Burgundy's finest Pinot Noirs. Yet as collectors increasingly compete for the most prestigious bottles, many consumers assume great Piedmont wine is out of reach.

The reality is much more interesting. "Piedmont is certainly not a monolith," the presenters emphasized, highlighting a region that produces far more than its famous Nebbiolo-based appellations. For adventurous drinkers, some of the greatest values in Italian wine can be found in grapes that rarely appear on restaurant wine lists outside of Italy.

Four lesser-known Piedmont wine grapes worth looking for

While Barolo and Barbaresco dominate attention, varieties like Freisa, Ruchè, Dolcetto, and Pelaverga reveal a broader side of northern Italy. Many can also be found at a fraction of the price.
Credit: Dukas/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The seminar's first tasting flight focused on four indigenous varieties that deserve a place on every wine lover's radar.

Ruchè

One of Piedmont's most distinctive grapes, Ruchè delivers intensely aromatic wines filled with notes of rose petals, red berries, spice, and herbs. Despite its perfume, the wine maintains freshness and structure, making it remarkably versatile at the table. White and Oyediran highlighted the grape as an example of Piedmont's diversity and the region's commitment to preserving historic varieties that nearly disappeared in previous generations.

Freisa

Often considered Nebbiolo's cousin, Freisa offers many of the characteristics that make Nebbiolo beloved: bright acidity, firm tannins, and red-fruited aromatics. Yet Freisa typically comes at a fraction of the price. The speakers described it as a grape capable of serious complexity while remaining approachable and food-friendly, making it an ideal entry point for drinkers who enjoy Barolo but want something less expensive.

Dolcetto

Long cherished as Piedmont's everyday red, Dolcetto produces wines with dark fruit flavors, soft tannins, and immediate drinkability. While it lacks the prestige of Nebbiolo, its charm lies in its accessibility. White and Oyediran pointed to Dolcetto as a perfect example of the kinds of wines retailers love to recommend: delicious, well-made, and often significantly undervalued by the market.

Pelaverga

Perhaps the most surprising wine of the tasting, Pelaverga is a rare variety known for its delicate color, vibrant acidity, and signature peppery spice. Light on its feet yet packed with personality, it challenges expectations about what Piedmont red wine can be. For drinkers seeking something distinctive and conversation-worthy, Pelaverga delivers an experience unlike almost anything else in Italy.

How to find these wines

The best way to discover these grapes is not through an app or a score sheet — it's through a conversation. White and Oyediran repeatedly emphasized the role that trusted wine retailers play in helping consumers navigate regions as nuanced as Piedmont. Building a relationship with knowledgeable wine professionals can unlock bottles you might never find on your own.

For travelers visiting Charleston, Graft Wine Shop remains one of the country's most thoughtful destinations for discovering small-production European wines. In New York City, neighborhood-focused shops such as Chambers Street Wines regularly champion lesser-known Italian varieties and producers. 

Related: What's the Difference Between Barolo and Barbaresco?

The key is simple: Ask questions. Tell your wine shop sommelier what you typically enjoy drinking and what your budget is. If you love Barolo but not Barolo prices, they'll likely have a Freisa, Ruchè, Dolcetto, or Pelaverga ready to introduce you to another side of Piedmont.

That's ultimately what White and Oyediran's Aspen seminar celebrated, a region whose story is far richer than its most famous wines. Barolo and Barbaresco may be the headliners, but some of Piedmont's greatest discoveries are still hiding in plain sight.

* This article was originally published here