Wojciech Bońkowski
Master of Wine

Le Strette: dreams come true

Live blogging from Piedmont, part 9. Visit to Le Strette winery, responsible for the survival and renaissance of the Nascetta grape. Plus some really good and affordable Barolos.

Blind tasting, day 3: Villero wins the day

Live blogging from Piedmont, part 8. 63 Barolos from the 2007 vintage tasted. The big winner so far is the village of Castiglione Falletto and especially the Villero cru. Click to see my top picks from this very good vintage.

Majestic Rabajà

Live blogging from Piedmont, part 7. Impressive vertical of Rabajà at Giuseppe Cortese. One of the most structured and ageworthy Barbarescos.

Massolino: the power of terroir

Live blogging from Piedmont, part 6. ‘Diagonal’ tasting (horizontal of 3 different single vineyard wines in 4 vintages) at Massolino winery.

Barolo 2001: a great vintage

Live blogging from Piedmont, part 4. Taking a break from 2008s and 2007s I taste 60 different Barolos from 2001. It is certainly a great vintage for the king of Italian wines.

Nebbiolo Prima 2011, day 1: improving Roero

Live blogging from Piedmont, part 3. Tasting through 2008 Roero and 2008 Barbaresco. At this stage, looks like a challenging vintage: high tannins and acids but low fruit.

Amazing Arneis

Live blogging from Piedmont, part 2. Arneis is usually a light commercial wine. In an amazing tasting at Angelo Negro we taste serious Arneis back to 2001.

Nebbiolo Prima 2011: a good start

Live blogging from Piedmont, part 1. Starting the week slowly with some delicious local food and the best wine to match: white Arneis. The best Arneis is currently made by Ghiomo, a small winery in Guarene.

My life with Pio Cesare

I never really liked the wines of Pio Cesare upon release, in their youth. Recent tastings have instilled a doubt in my mind. So I put Pio Cesare to the 10-year test.