My audience has spoken! The poll I posted on Instagram last week and from my previous blog elicited some great responses about ideas for my new book. Thank you for participating! The number of views was good, but the number of responses was underwhelming, and many may have missed it so I will re-post it soon.
Instead of just choosing a number, many people went as far as sharing what they are interested in. Here are some of them –
Allison wrote “The truer personal stories though and weaving that into a reason for people to want to come to those vineyards I think would be very interesting.” Trie wrote “Lovely ideas, Michael! I can imagine lots of intriguing wines and stories there.” Angie wrote “I just spent two weeks in France and enjoyed the wine, but insider information would be so helpful.” Tori wrote “I am always looking for ways to pair foods with wine and also enjoy reading about viticulture and vinifera.”
For this week, I am sharing a really cool story that takes place in the highly reputable Piedmont region of Italy, specifically in the Langhe subregion. Piedmont is located in the northwest corner of Italy bordering France and Switzerland. It’s about a multigenerational family and their dog in the pursuit of truffles and producing exceptional wine.
If you are a dog or animal lover, you will love this heartwarming story. Plus, it involves vino!
In the Langhe, the soils that yield extraordinary wines are the same soils that give birth to the White Truffle of Alba, the world’s most prized underground mushroom, the “diamond of the earth.”
Truffle Hunter Leda is the story of an overwhelming passion, that of Valter Bosio for truffle hunting, which, since childhood, has driven him to beat the woods and valleys of Piedmont in search of the most mysterious fruit of the earth. But it is also the story of a timeless bond, that with the legendary dog Leda, the partner of a thousand adventures, whose unerring nose guaranteed Valter exceptional finds and equally exceptional excitement.
This wine is his tribute to the land of Piedmont, to the interweaving of incredible excellence that this land makes possible.
Leda has been a faithful companion to the Bosio family for 14 years and is legendary for her ability to hunt truffles. The family named this wine in her honor so her legacy and story will live on each time a bottle is opened and a glass is toasted. Leda is a Lagotto Romagnolo, a breed of dog that comes exclusively from the Romagna sub-region of Italy. Luca Bosio Vineyards, now in its 3rd generation, was established in 1967 by farmers Egidio and Angela.
Their son, Valter Bosio married Rosella and along with their son Luca, a graduate winemaker, work tirelessly to keep up the family tradition. Luca has brought a wave of freshness and novelty both in technical and commercial areas. After the success of his innovative and progressive ideas, and under the constant support of the family, the company has taken the name of Luca Bosio Vineyards. The winery is located in the center of the Langhe region of Piedmont and has 60 acres of vineyards planted.
The Piedmont of wine is a continuous discovery, an endless revelation of oenological expressions on the hunt for ever-changing native grape varieties capable of telling an intimate and authentic story. An invitation to be part of the great land that gives rise to the White Truffle and, at the same time, to the world’s greatest wines.
Truffle Hunter Leda is a pleasant and carefree sip, a celebration of one of the most generous territories in the world. It reveals a love for the sun-kissed and wind-cradled hills of Piedmont, recognized as a World Heritage Site, where the beauty of the landscape becomes the quality of a taste that is always recognizable.
This 2020 vintage began with a winter season characterized by mid temperatures and little rainfall. In general, the climatic trend was ideal. The Barbera grapes for this wine come from vineyards located in Castagnole Lanze and Costighole d’Asti villages, at 200-300 feet above sea level.
The average age of the vines is 25 years old and they are grown on calcareous clay soil. After harvesting, the grapes are pressed and the must is fermented in temperature-controlled steel tanks. Skin maceration takes place over six days, assuring good color and body. The wine spends 6 months in large oak barrels to increase the body and the structure leading to red fruits, hint of chocolate, and spice notes due from the wood. This is followed by an additional six months in the bottle before releasing.
Ruby red in color, this lighter style of Barbera shows ample red fruit on the nose. The wine sits at 13.5% alcohol, 5 g/L residual sugar (not bone dry by any means), and 5.4 g/L acidity (making it very food-friendly, reminiscent of almost all their wines). It has silky tannins give it a smooth mouthfeel.
This particular 2020 vintage is more medium-bodied than full-bodied unlike many other Barbera’s.
Barbera in Piedmont is much leaner, brighter acidity, low tannins, and often aged in large neutral oak or stainless steel to preserve its fresh, zippy profile compared to its New World counterparts (California and Australia).
The d’Asti after Barbera refers to the wine originating from the province and town of Asti in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. They also produce d’Alba from Alba. Visit their site and peruse all wines – https://www.trufflehunterwines.com/en/
The overall profile is tart cherry, sour cherry, red plum, blackberry, raspberry, and dried strawberry. Secondary notes of violet, lavender, dried herbs, black pepper, and wet earth. When aged in oak, you get vanilla, baking spice, clove, nutmeg, licorice, and cocoa.
Enjoy this wine with ham and Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings, specifically turkey, ham, stuffing, and cranberry sauce coming up. Throughout the year, pair it with roast chicken, pork, earthy, root veggies, bolognese, and all kinds of cheeses.
This “easy-to-drink” wine has a freshness and approachability that makes it a great wine for even the casual wine consumer and non-red wine drinker. Find it at many shops in CNY and available universally.
Plan your trip to that region here – 2026 Langhe Wine Guide: Piedmont’s Finest | WineTourism.com
Keep following and look for other worldly wine adventures on here. Subscribe on the homepage so you don’t miss a pour and follow The Michael Pour on Instagram under the same name. Do you have a cool idea for the next post or future posts? Please share.
Cheers & Saluti,
Michael Nagy
michael.troy.nagy@gmail.com
Instagram – @themichaelpour
