Cascina Lo Zoccolaio, Dolcetto d’Alba, Vigna dij Sagrin 2007, my WBW #54 pick

 At the foot of the the mountain is what Piedmont stands for.
Where do the traces of French influence come, I am not sure. Occitan is spoken by some in the region I learned.

I must confess that after being a steady participant in Wine Blogging Wednesday, I took a long leave of absence from this monthly wine challenge.

For whatever reason, I could not resist David Mc Duff call to show Passion for Piedmont on this 54th Edition of WBW.

Since I did not want to splurge and spend from $40 to $80 on an upscale Barbera or Barolo, I set my eyes on an alternative.
After a few unsuccessful trials, I decided to roll the dice and give one last try with the Lo Zoccolaio 'Vigna dij Sagrin' Dolcetto d'Alba (2007).

Lo Zoccolaio was originally an old farmstead. In these country dwellings, the tradition was to plant a tree in the courtyard to provide shelter from the heat during the summer months.

The tree used as an emblem, a symbol for the winery is a white poplar.

After this digression into local roots and history let's return to the matter at hand, le vin.

A first pour, I was pleasantly surprised by this Dolcetto ruby red color, touch of spice and good tannins.

Nothing fussy here, great company with paprika and cayenne sprinkled grilled chicken breast accompanied by pommes de terre en robe de chambre sauted with olive oil and garlic.

Simple pleasures, country fare if you will…

Some grapes from Piedmont have found their way to California. I had the pleasure recently to taste a Grignolino from Heitz Cellars. It was disctinctive and I had to note its low alcohol content.

My pick retails for around $13 by the way.

Related: European Wine Quintet, Tuscany to Burgenland and Alentejano