oero is a hilly area situated in the northeasternmost part of the province of Cuneo. It owes its name to an ancient feudal family that ruled the district.
The sandy soil of the Roero hills yields an intense red wine that differs from most great Piedmontese wines in that it quickly attains good balance, while the others require aging. The wine was created through the local farmers' tenacity, stubborness and diligence, in identifying the areas with the best exposure and soil suited to viniculture.
That pride and tenacity remains today the most important factor in the development of Roero's winemaking. A new generation of producers has introduced a bolder entrepreneurial spirit, with more advanced techniques of vinification, and promotional marketing. As a result, there has been a major upsurge in experimentation with attention focused on selection and general refinement of the local output. This modern approach provides consumers with a wide choice and fine quality wines.
Roero received its Denominazione di Origine Controllata in 1985, and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita in 2006. It can therefore be considered a young appellation, but it is one with a lot of history behind it, that deserves to be better known.
The best way to learn is to travel to the district, and seek out the places where important historical events have occurred. One of these sites is Cherasco, which lent its name to the Treaty of 1796, under which the Kingdom of Sardegna, then ruled by Victor Amadeus III, ceded Nice and Savoy to France.
