The weather is cold and the temperatures will continue to drop. The time span of meals, on the other hand, will continue to lengthen, and lengthen, and lengthen… Satiety at the end of the meal? Through the roof. And then comes dessert; dark, bitter chocolate. In the meantime, it almost becomes foggy before the eyes. The thought alone! But there is a lifebuoy. It is called Chinato. Barolo Chinato.
Imagine this; one of the world’s most prized and sought-after wines, Barolo, fortified with alcohol and diluted with herbs, roots and spices. For many, the very idea is completely off the wall. And in a way, it’s hard to disagree. But then again, Italy is a country of traditions, and Piedmont even more so. And traditions should be respected. Trends come and go, traditions are here to stay. And sometimes, very occasionally, trends and traditions collide in a curve (no, not a corona-upward curve). And that brings us seamlessly to Barolo Chinato.
It is 1870 and the end of the year is approaching. Giuseppe Cappellano, a pharmacist from Serralunga d'Alba, with a shop in Turin, comes up with a new recipe that he describes as a 'medicinal and antimalarial ointment' (sexy, right?!) and calls it Barolo Chinato. Did the good man know at that moment that this drink would become one of the classics of Italian oenology? Nah, probably not. By the way, we are talking about a specific recipe, not a fixed formula. But there is a second lead; Roberto Bava, owner and general manager of Cocchi Vermouth. He told a good friend of mine that Barolo Chinato was the result of the marriage between the daughter of a cocoa importer from Genova and the son of Cocchi. Barolo Chinato was supposedly invented to toast that marriage in all honour and to create eternal family peace, according to Cocchi. It is up to you to choose the most romantic story!
The basis of Barolo Chinato is relatively well known. You start with a Barolo. No Langhe Nebbiolo, no Nebbiolo d'Alba, no Barbaresco, etc. - it has to be an official Barolo, made according to the law and the correct aging! You then mix this with, first and foremost, the extract of china calissia bark (read - quinine), and then with other herbs and spices. Which ones? Think orange peel, cloves, rhubarb roots, gentian, fennel, chamomile, cardamom seeds, star anise, coriander, nutmeg, vanilla, ... it doesn't stop there! But what exactly and in what proportion? Well, just like with other Italian bitters (think Vermouth and Amaro) this is also always a secret family recipe that is passed down from generation to generation. Sugar and alcohol are also added. So a lot of mixing that ends in a charming wine full of complexity and a pronounced aftertaste. Seductive like few others and capable of making the almost impossible pairing with bitter, dark chocolate! But as always, the story naturally starts with the basics, as many chefs will confirm. You can make a great dish from a good basic product, but you can't make a Peter Goossens-esque preparation from an average to substandard basic product, no matter how talented you are! So, do you want to produce a top Barolo Chinato? How good is the quality of your Barolo?
Barolo Chinato remains an absolute niche. The production is very limited, the price is not exactly cheap. Logically; the basis is Barolo, damn it! But those who seek will find. Augusto Cappellano, the current owner of the mythical Barolo domain Cappellano, still produces the benchmark that many others measure themselves against. One is looking for more finesse (Luca Roagna), another for more alpine accents (GD Vajra), yet another for a classic, opulent profile (Cocchi) and yet another (who can introduce this Crombé with great pride) is Barale Fratelli, is a refined mix of finesse, fruit and subtle bitter accents on the (long!) aftertaste.
Again; looking for the perfect pairing with bitter dark chocolate? Or with a cigar? Or simply as an after-dinner to help that heavy meal go down a little faster? Look no further. Here is the link to our Barolo Chinato !
