Young Italian Winemakers Challenging Old Timers in Barolo

To judge how far barolo has come in the past three decades, check out the prices on some of these better-known bottlings. Angelo Gaja “Sperss” goes for $315, Brovia Monprivato, $372, while Giacomo Conterno Monfortino Riserva costs $638.

Pretty remarkable for a regional wine that some producers were giving away before 1980. “In the 1970s, if you bought one bottle of cheap dolcetto in Piedmont, you’d get a bottle of barolo free,” says Achille Boroli, 36-year-old winemaker and owner of Boroli winery in Alba in the heart of the barolo region.