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WINES OF NORTHERN ITALY
7
Piemonte
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the isolated region’s dance with invasion has been its
most defining characteristic. Having been controlled by the Dukes of Savoy, Austria, Germany, the
Holy Roman Empire, and France, it would be an understatement to say that Piemonte has had many
different rulers. Each conqueror left an indelible mark on the region’s culture as well as its winemaking
practices. This occurred to such an extent that, thanks to its time under the control of Napoleonic
France, vineyards have multiple owners, each of whom own only 2.5 acres on average.
It cannot be overstated that the Piemontese people take their food and wine seriously. An adequate
description would be that theirs is a culture based upon the art of haut-cuisine. Cafés and coffee
shops serve as morning meeting places, pre-lunch or pre-dinner aperitifs are a cultural requisite (after
all, Vermouth originated in Piemonte), and nearly all activity in the region stops for daily meals. Similar
to Spain’s siesta culture, shops and businesses typically close from 12:30 pm until 3:00 pm for lunch.
Culturally, lunch is the traditional main meal of the day and Sunday lunch is a time for families to
gather and eat together.