The Barolo Chinato is an ancient Piedmontese speciality, which originated in the 19th century and has now been rediscovered for its popular and elegant bittersweet personality. This makes it an excellent meditation wine, which can be consumed at the end of a meal, as a digestive or to accompany desserts and bitter chocolate. Its origin seems to date back to the intuition of pharmacist Giuseppe Cappellano of Serralunga d'Alba who had the idea of creating a medicine to cure seasonal ailments and colds. Other producers, such as Giulio Cocchi of Asti, developed original secret recipes that are still followed today by their descendants, enjoying ever-increasing international success. Centuries have passed, but the production method remains the same and consists of 'spicing' through the infusion of botanical herbs, roots and bark, such as China Calisaia, and a final ageing period of about a year in oak barrels. It is a speciality of antique and timeless charm, and one of the most prestigious aromatised alcoholic beverages in Italy.
The Barolo Chinato is an ancient Piedmontese speciality, which originated in the 19th century and has now been rediscovered for its popular and elegant bittersweet personality. This makes it an excellent meditation wine, which can be consumed at the end of a meal, as a digestive or to accompany desserts and bitter chocolate. Its origin seems to date back to the intuition of pharmacist Giuseppe Cappellano of Serralunga d'Alba who had the idea of creating a medicine to cure seasonal ailments and colds. Other producers, such as Giulio Cocchi of Asti, developed original secret recipes that are still followed today by their descendants, enjoying ever-increasing international success. Centuries have passed, but the production method remains the same and consists of 'spicing' through the infusion of botanical herbs, roots and bark, such as China Calisaia, and a final ageing period of about a year in oak barrels. It is a speciality of antique and timeless charm, and one of the most prestigious aromatised alcoholic beverages in Italy.
Barolo Chinato was born during the 19th century from the idea of creating an antidote for colds and seasonal illnesses, which, in most cases, would be consumed while still warm during the winter. Its first creator was a pharmacist from Serralunga d'Alba who developed a production method that required the maceration of different qualities of spices, including the bark of China Calisaia, in the famous red wine of the Langhe. Other ingredients included cardamom seed, and rhubarb and gentian roots.
The fame of the great properties of this medicinal drink soon spread throughout the region and more and more bottles were produced and sold, especially in the pharmacies of Turin. Even today, the descendants of its inventor continue to produce Cappellano Barolo Chinato, an important and prestigious wine that has inaugurated and written the history of this variety.
The example of the Cappellano family was followed by several pharmacies in Turin, and also by great producers who have permanently associated their names with this type of wine. Among these is Giulio Cocchi who, in 1891, developed a secret recipe still used today by his descendants. Other ancient and prestigious labels include Vajra and Pio Cesare.
In its earliest days, it was consumed hot as an anti-congestion and digestive medicinal drink sold in pharmacies. Today, of course, consumption methods have changed and this speciality is appreciated worldwide for its excellent organoleptic qualities.
Over more than a century, the historic producers have increasingly raised the quality profile of this wine, while remaining faithful to the traditional recipes of their ancestors. Compared to the past, Barolo Chinato wine today has a higher alcohol content of around 16-18%, and a richer, softer and less pungent spiciness. These qualities have made Barolo Chinato an excellent and elegant meditation wine, best enjoyed at the end of a meal at a temperature of around 14°C.
The current tendency to favour the most genuine, true and traditional wines of the territory has led to the rediscovery of the best Barolo Chinato. Its current revaluation has been coupled with the creation of new and innovative styles of consumption both in Italy and worldwide. Once associated with treating illnesses in rural environments, today it is enjoyed in the most elegant and refined establishments throughout the world, experiencing a genuine renaissance.
Because of its rich, full-bodied, spiced, sweet and bitter personality, the best Barolo Chinato lends itself perfectly to one of the most complex and unusual combinations, that with chocolate. The reasons for this rather strange pairing are justified by the qualities of this Piedmont speciality: intense and pleasant aromas of spices such as China, roots, vanilla and citrus peel and a round, enveloping, sweet and bitter taste, enriched by a bitter tannic texture that delicately develops during its long persistence.
The structure, body, tannic texture and also the perfect balance between residual sugar and bitter component make this Piedmontese wine an excellent accompaniment to bitter chocolate in particular, but also to various cocoa-based desserts. Today, a number of renowned master chocolatiers have studied this successful combination, creating desserts and chocolates designed specifically to best enhance such a pairing. In general, the following lend themselves particularly well to this combination: dark chocolates, sacher cakes, logs, chocolate citrus peels and other cocoa desserts such as tenerina and territorial Bonet. Alternatively, bitter almonds and some very tasty mature cheeses have also proved to be an excellent match.
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