Barolo Barbaresco World Opening 2024: A Celebration of the Ballerina of Wine Grapes

The world's largest Barolo & Barbaresco tasting brought 178 producers to NYC to celebrate the King of Piedmont: Nebbiolo

The morning session of BBWO was reserved for top trade members and wine critics

If you’re a fan of Barolo or Barbaresco, put the annual Barolo Barbaresco World Opening (BBWO) on your wish list. It’s Nebbiolo-mania with a room of nearly 200 producers from the iconic Langhe region of Piedmont. While most wines are from recent ‘20, ‘21 and ‘22 vintages, the event showcases how Nebbiolo can be quite approachable at a young age (Barolo tends to have the reputation of being too tannic and austere right off the bat, which is true in some cases).

The common theme? Winemakers are zeroing in on terroir, doing their best to translate the wine’s place of origin, specifically the soils. This is most evident in Bruno Rocca’s two Barbaresco’s from the Currà vineyard and Rabajà vineyard. Both from the 2021 vintage, the Currà is grown on limestone and clay soils, separated by layers of sand. The wine is round, juicy and elegant compared to the Rabajà, which was tannic, austere and not as integrated. “It needs more time compared to the Currà which is ready to drink now,” confirmed the winemaker. These differences in structure and flavor come down to one thing: the vineyard (since the winemaking has the same regimen for both!)

Nebbiolo originates from the Italian term ‘nebbia’ which means ‘fog’. It is named after the clouds that cover the hills of the region during harvest and other points of the year. The grape is thick-skinned, early-budding and late-ripening, needing long periods of sunshine to reach its full potential. It is often planted on south- or southwest-facing hillsides for maximum exposure, but rumors have it that due to climate change, north-facing vineyards may start sprouting. The wines have high acidity, high tannin and in the case of the recent BBWO tasting, high alcohol (14% or more in most of the wines we tasted). This makes it very ageworthy in the cellar!

The Cannubi region (think elegant and light) wines were standouts at such a young age, showing finesse and purity and lightness on the palate, while the Bussia region (think muscular) wines showed bolder flavors but still just as approachable. The general Langhe Nebbiolos (not labeled Barolo or Barbaresco) were ballin’! You can find them at lower prices too. G.D. Vajra 2022 and Castello di Neive 2022 were top examples.

3D maps that showcase the sub-regions of Barolo and Barbaresco

When speaking with the Brezza producer, she explained how Nebbiolo compares to other grapes. “Nebbiolo is like a ballerina rather than a bodybuilder,” she said. “It is elegant yet structured and concentrated with each small, delicate step.” Nebbiolo is linear and focused, a beam of pure fruit that looks light in the glass but is anything but in taste. It’s the Hulk kick!

This year, the event was held on Wednesday, March 20th at Center 415 in the heart of New York City. From press tastings to unique seminars, over 1,500 people gathered from all parts of the world to understand what makes Nebbiolo so special. We are honored to offer a small glimpse into BBWO!

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