We had chance to participate in a special World Wine Travel exploration of wine from the historic Coppo Wine Cellars in the Piemonte region of Northern Italy. Learn more about this special winery and get inpired by some delicious pairing for flagship Barbera from Coppo, as well as their Moscato d’Asti. Disclosure: The wines discussed in the articles were provided as complimentary samples from the winery.
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About Coppo Wine Cellars
Coppo Wine Cellars was established in 1892, and from the outset has embraced the traditions of Piemonte winemaking while blending innovative approaches. For instance, Coppo was among the first to embrace the production of estate wines, featuring grapes grown and vinified exclusively on it its properties. The Coppo Wine Cellars are located in the Canelli hills, in the Asti region of Piedmont.
Coppo’s underground wine cellars, dubbed the “Underground Cathedrals“, are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Carved deep into the soft tufa rock beneath the town of Canelli, these ancient cellars have endured over centuries. In fact, the cellars date back to the 16th century, when they were originally used to store the region’s sparkling wines.
Today, Coppo is part of the Lanci Family Group of companies, providing a chance for growth while honoring tradition. They produce wines typically associated with the Piedmont – Barbera, Barolo and Moscato d’Asti – as well as a well-regarded Chardonnay that some of my colleagues tried (links below).
Pairings with Coppo Barbera
Coppo has made the production of high-quality Barbera a priority, and we had a chance to see the results. We had a bottle of the 2021 Pomorosso Nizza DOCG ($69, 16.5% ABV) to sample.
Nizza had previously been a subzone of the Asti DOC, but became its own DOCG in 2014 to convey the unique terroir of this small area particularly well-suited to Barbera. The Nizza DOCG aims to elevate Barbera similarly to how Barolo is to Nebbiolo.
The Pomorosso has become Coppo’s signature wine. Long maceration and aging makes for a complex, robust wine. The Pomorosso is made from 100% Barbara grapes, sourced from top Nizza vineyards.
The notes from Coppo suggest the Pomorosso is best enjoyed between 5 to 10 years from release. So that makes the 2021 relatively young, and I thought I ought to get it open well in advance of dinner so that it would show well at that point.
When first tasting the Pomorosso upon opening, I noted the inky dark purple hues in the glass. On the nose, I get prunes and black cherry. On the palate, blackberry and cherry fruit, with some tobacco notes. While it was enjoyable to drink right from the start, there was a density to the mouthfeel that suggest it would benefit from further aging, or in this case, extended time to breath and/or decanting.
After taking some initial notes based on a tasting pour, I was ready to pour a little glass and enjoy with some cheese before finishing dinner. This is Italian wine, after all, typically at its best along with food!
Barbera cheese pairing
We started out by trying cheese pairings for the Pomorosso Barbera.
The wine was pretty good with the Gruyere cheese; but we’ve found better pairings for Gruyere cheese. No big surpise – this Barbara was better with chunks of some high quality Parmigiano Reggiano.
While Parmigiano hails from Emilia Romagna, that region shares a border with the Piedmont, so close enough to benefit from the “what grows together goes together” principle.
Porcini beef stew
I tend to associate porcini mushrooms with Piemonte and Northern Italy in general. They don’t actually pop in a few articles I found about cuisine of the Piedmont, but that link was on my mind as I started thinking about pairing options for the Barbera.
Beef does get mentioned in those Piemonte food articles, so I guess I was on the right track when I decided this would be a great time to make a version of our Porcini Mushroom Beef Stew.
I used our recipe linked in the previous sentence as a starting point, but a made several significant adjustments to our slow cooker recipe based on the time and ingredients I had available. I intend to get back with an update to that soon!
I tend to think of Barbera to pair with tomato based meat sauces, as the acidity goes well with tomatoes. But Barbera is often suggest to go with meat dishes such as our stew because it can typically stand up to the fattiness of the meat. And this Barbera definitely has plenty of heft!
I had opened the Barbera and tried it with the cheeses about two hours before we sat down to dinner. I kept the bottle uncorked during this period, and the Coppo Barbera was super plush, with well-integrated tannins by this point. No surprise – the Barbera with our Porcini Mushroom Beef Stew was delicious! I’d give it 5 out of 5 starts.
One additional note on the Barbera. The 16.5% alcohol is a number that I might initially be inclined to avoid. But this bottle is an example of how a well-made wine can still be enjoyable and food friendly at higher alcohol levels.
Moscato d’Asti
Moscato d’Asti is an Italian wine that hails from the Asti province in the Piedmont region. Made from the Moscato Bianco grape, this wine is known for its sweet, aromatic profile. The production method involves a partial fermentation process, which retains a significant amount of residual sugar while achieving a low alcohol content of around 5%. This process leads to a light effervescence, gentle bubbles that make it a fun wine to drink.
We had a chance to try the 2023 Moncalvina Moscato d’Asti ($19, 5% ABV) from Coppo Wine Cellars. In the past, I’ve tended pair Moscato with some the sweet, going for a like to like type pairing. This time, we went in a different direction, with two rather different pairing options.
Moscato d’Asti pairings
I started by pairing the Moncalvino Moscato d’Asti with a plate of Italian nibble – Parmigiano, prosciutto and olives.
When you first pour the Moscato, the delicate bubbles in the glass are striking.
On the nose, I get notes of wildflowers and honey. On the palate, I get pear fruit, honey and a stony minerality. The efferscence creates a pleasant, tingly mouthfeel.
As you might have guessed, the Moncalvino Moscato d’Asti was very good with this snack plate…especially the Parmigiano!
Moscato d’Asti with curry
Researching pairing ideas, I noted suggestions to try Moscato with spicy foods. Sounded like something to try!
So I cooked up two curry dishes to go with the Coppo Moscato d’Asti – our Indian Butter Chicken recipe and this Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry. The squash recipe is more of a Thai style curry, as it used red chile paste and coconut milk. I love making this in the fall; it can certainly stand on its own as a meatless main dish.
I would say the Moscato d’Asti worked reasonably well with the curry. But I’d have to say I preferred it with the snack plate, and will likely go back to Riesling or Gewürztraminer next time I make this curry meal.
More Coppo Wine Cellars articles
Be sure to check out these article from my World Wine Travel colleagues to learn more about this historic winery!
• Camilla from Culinary Cam says “Let’s Talk About Cortese and Barbera Grapes: Two Wines from the Historical Underground Wine Cellars of Coppo + Pairings”
• David from Cooking Chat shares “Pairings for Coppo Barbera and Moscato d’Asti “
• Payal from Keep the Peas shares “Coppo Winery 2023 Chardonnay ‘Costebianche’ x Vegetarian Punjabi Food”
• Linda from My Full Wine Glass shares “Two Piedmont classics: Nizza Barbera and Moscato d’Asti “
• Jennifer from Vino Travels shares “The Historic Coppo winery of Piedmont and their UNESCO underground wine cellars”
• Robin from Crushed Grape Chronicles reports on “Tunnels and Tufa – The Underground Cathedrals and Coppo Cellars”
• Terri at Our Good Life shares “Pairings with Nizza Barbera and Coppo Monteriolo Chardonnay”
• Martin at Enofylz Wine Blog shares “Historic Wines, Timeless Pairings: Coppo’s Nizza Barbera and Barolo with Wild Mushroom Risotto”
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator shares “From Coppo’s UNESCO Cellars: Nizza and Gavi Paired with Shrimp Ceasar and Duck with Winter Squash Gratin”
• Lynn at Savor the Harvest shares “Chardonnay From One of the Oldest Family-Run Wineries in Italy – Coppo“
• Jeff at Food Wine Click! shares “Dinner with Coppo Wine Cellars Flagship ‘Pomorosso’ Nizza Barbera”
MARTIN D REDMOND
I’m digging the diversity of your pairings David. I especially appreciate the cheese pairing suggestions. Looks like you had a great time with the wonderful Coppo wines
Cooking Chat
Defiinitely enjoyed it, Martin! Thanks!
Robin Renken
The beef and Barbera is inspiring as is your cheese plate, and your tasting notes have my mouth watering!
Lynn
Your stew with the Barbera sounds delish and so warming! Noting it for an ‘easy slow cooker’ dinner. And the Moscato d’Asti, haven’t had one in quite some time. Curious if it was a lack of brightness that made it not as good with your curries?