Our love affair with Nebbiolo began in 2011 when we stayed in Piedmont and visited many wineries in Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero, the three main areas of production for what is generally regarded as Italy's most celebrated red grape. If Barolo is the king of wines, then Barbaresco is its queen. Perhaps that makes Roero the Jack in the pack - it can also be a very good wine when made by dedicated winemakers such as Fabrizio Battaglino.

Typically, Nebbiolo has complex aromatics of rose, tar, leather, and red cherry, a powerful structure with firm tannins and high acidity for exceptional ageing, and elegant flavours of strawberry, dried herbs and tobacco. It almost seems a waste to drink it with pasta; to make the most of the wine, we would suggest pairing it with fairly simple foods to avoid overwhelming the subtle complexity