Skip to content
Rate This Wine
Pair my dinnerWine with steakWine with salmonWine with pizzaSee all: PairingsCabernet SauvignonPinot NoirSauvignon BlancSee all: WinesBest wine clubsCheapest wine clubsFor beginnersSee all: Wine clubsWine pairing finderParty wine calculatorRate this wineSee all: ToolsLearn
Nebbiolo (Barolo)

Full-bodied red

Nebbiolo (Barolo): taste & food pairing

Say it: neb-ee-OH-loh · Also called Barolo, Barbaresco, Langhe Nebbiolo

“Tar and roses”: pale in color but huge in tannin and acidity. Barolo and Barbaresco are among the world’s great wines and need rich food, and time.

BodyLightFull
SweetnessDrySweet
AciditySoftCrisp
TanninSmoothGrippy
AlcoholLowHigh
Tastes likesour cherry, rose, tar, licorice, dried herbs
Alcohol13.5-15%
Serve at60-65°F (16-18°C)
GlassWide Burgundy bowl
Decant?Yes: 1-2 hours for young Barolo
What to payLanghe Nebbiolo from $20; Barolo $45+

Nebbiolo looks deceptively light in the glass (pale garnet, almost like Pinot Noir) but it has some of the highest tannin and acidity of any red. It makes Piedmont’s Barolo and Barbaresco, wines that age for decades.

Best food with Nebbiolo (Barolo)

VegetarianMushroom risotto Pinot Noir · Nebbiolo (Barolo) · Chardonnay MeatSteak Cabernet Sauvignon · Malbec · Syrah / Shiraz MeatBeef stew & braises Syrah / Shiraz · Cabernet Sauvignon · Nebbiolo (Barolo) MeatLamb Tempranillo (Rioja) · Red Bordeaux blend · Syrah / Shiraz CheeseAged Cheddar & Parmesan Cabernet Sauvignon · Nebbiolo (Barolo) · Tempranillo (Rioja)

How it tastes

Sour cherry, rose petal, tar, licorice and dried herbs, with mouth-drying tannin. With age it turns to dried cherry, leather and truffle.

How to enjoy it young

Decant young Barolo for an hour or two and serve it with rich, fatty food: braised beef, truffle risotto, aged Parmigiano. Without food, the tannin can feel harsh.

Buying tips

  • Langhe Nebbiolo: the affordable, ready-to-drink way in.
  • Barbaresco, usually a little softer and earlier-drinking than Barolo.
  • Barolo, the king; most need 8-10 years to open up.

Where it’s grown

Piedmont (Barolo, Barbaresco) Valtellina Ghemme & Gattinara

Tasted Nebbiolo (Barolo)?

Rate it

Reader tasting notes

Tasted Nebbiolo (Barolo)? What did you notice, and what did you drink it with? The first good one goes right here.

Add a tasting note

We read every tasting note before it goes live. No links, please, and nothing personal about other people.

Drinking a Nebbiolo (Barolo) right now?Score it on our 100-point card and keep a private wine journal.
Rate it

If you like Nebbiolo (Barolo), try…

Medium-bodied redSangiovese (Chianti) sour cherry · tomato leaf · dried herbs · leather · balsamic Light-bodied redPinot Noir red cherry · raspberry · cranberry · mushroom · forest floor Medium-bodied redBarbera sour cherry · plum · licorice · dried herbs · black pepper Medium-to-full redTempranillo (Rioja) cherry · dried fig · tobacco · leather · dill and vanilla (American oak)