Dolcetto

Dolcetto is a grape that likes to be different. It flourishes on sites that its Piedmontese counterparts - Barbera and Nebbiolo - tend to dislike. While those grapes produce wines with a bright acidity (and often ripen so late that winemakers are driven to blind panic) Dolcetto produces low-acid wines and is ready to harvest early.

Its characteristic flavors are violets, prunes, liquorice and cherry, with a bitter, almond-like finish. The best Dolcetto wines can be found in Italy, though some very successful examples exist in America and Australia.

  • Signature Style

    Darkly colored wines with deep black cherry, prune and licorice flavors

  • Wines to Try

    Gianfranco Alessandria, Bric de Bersan

  • Principal Regions

    Piedmont, some areas of California

  • Synonyms

    Dolsin, Ormeasco

    Did you know?

  • Dolcetto means 'little sweet one' - an ironic name that does not suit its biting licorice flavors at all.
  • In the early 18th century Barnabà Centurione sent a case of Dolcetto to King George II of Great Britain.
  • Australia has some of the world's oldest Dolcetto vines - some dating as far back as 1860.

Popular Dolcetto Wines

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