The “Perswijn” hosts a focus on Piemonte
The editor Ronald de Groot was hosted by Strada del Barolo
April 2012: Holland’s most important wine magazine, the monthly “Perswijn”, will publish a special issue dedicated to Piedmont. Ronald de Groot, the magazine editor, spent two days in our region to prepare the reportage. During one of these days he was the guest of Strada del Barolo e grandi Vini di Langa.
Accompanying Ronald was Paul Balke, Dutch journalist and author of the book “Piemonte Wine and Travel Atlas”. Published in 2009, today this is one of the most complete books on wine and wine tourism in Piedmont; it is edited both in Italian and English and can be purchased in Italian, Dutch and English bookstores. In the next few months it will be also sold in Germany and Belgium. The book also boasts great success in the United States, especially among New York wine lovers.
Ronald, did you already know Langhe?
Yes, I came here for the first time twenty years ago, after founding my magazine “Perswijn”. I have always loved these hills and especially the great wines of this land, Barolo above all.
How was the magazine Perswjin born?
From my love for wine and my job as a journalist. Today, it is the main magazine on wine and wine tourism in Holland. Through its pages, I tell my readers stories of wine and vinedressers, I provide tips and suggest itineraries.
Give us a preview on what you are going to write about the Barolo Langa?
The area has changed a lot since I came here twenty years ago and also compared to my following trips. I should say it gets better every time, just like the growth of the quality of the wine produced in Langa. Barolo had a great evolution among its producers. In my opinion, today, you can no more divide producers into ‘modern’ and ‘traditional’. There is a method in between the two, though, in which the excellent Barolo, which I love very much, is produced.
Is Barolo a wine known in Holland?
Of course, it is considered a great wine and it is among the top ones for purchasing. It still suffers from the competition of great French wines like Bordeaux and Borgogna, though. I think that a promotional and educational campaign in Holland could help the growth of the sales and boost the recognition of the name Barolo.
Are you thinking of a Barolo & Friends Event in Amsterdam?
Yes, something like that, in one of the Dutch cities. Only in 2010 there have been more than 200 wine tastings dedicated to Piedmontese wines in the different Dutch cities. They had been all very successful and made thanks to the wine book of the friend Paul Balke.
What do you think Dutch wine lovers love about Langhe?
I found the proposal made by Strada del Barolo fantastic. The Dutch wine tourists love travelling in places where they can find great wines to taste, excellent restaurants, cosy farm holidays as well as the possibility, according to the period, to have a walk or follow a cycling path or a cultural tourist itinerary. And actually, I think this is the strategy chosen by Strada del Barolo. I found proper street signs on the territory, I saw paths for trekking among vineyards and now that I am getting back home, in Holland, I will study the area via computer through your web site.
What else did you appreciate about your Piedmontese days?
The Wine Tasting Experiences represent, for sure, a great added value to the wine tourist offer proposed to wine lovers who come to Langa. I think that such events, matched with trips in cultural places renowned at European levels like WiMu, the Wine Museum in Barolo, the Royal Palace of Venaria, the Cinema Museum of Torino, are elements which can attract many tourists from The Netherlands and, I think, the rest of Europe. I would also remember the dinner at Crota di Roddi, a great restaurant with traditional Piedmontese cuisine, which put great attention on raw materials. A nice and delicious dinner indeed.
Do you know that Langhe, together with other territories of Piedmontese wines, are nominated for becoming Unesco World Heritage?
Yes, I heard about it. Actually, I thought they already were! What is surrounding us are beautiful hills. On a sunny day, admiring these hills dotted with vineyards and with the Alps as background is a unique sensation. You can feel how these lands live thanks to viticulture; wine plays an important role in the economy of Langhe and the small municipalities are fantastic villages to visit.
Which wine did you appreciate more during this travel?
I drank a great 2001 Barolo Bussia, fantastic, and I found the Barolo of Le Strette excellent. I consider the year 2006 solemn for the Barolo, a wine that should be preserved and left uncapped for ten years or more. I also suggest to my reader the year 2007, that can be drunk already and it is easy to understand; it also represents a good way to approach Barolo for the first time.
Will you come back here soon?
I will come back in February 2012 for some interviews for the special issue dedicated to Piedmont. I can’t wait to be there again.
