Piedmont: snow is the natural friend! Winegrowers become snowplowers!

Piedmont, snowfall in Piedmont, sometimes dosed, sometimes in abundance!

Having made a serious "pirouette" a few times in Piedmont during my quasi 7-year residency in Barolo & Barbaresco area, I have a pretty scared feeling "on the road" when snow falls. Remember that I usually had to climb 275 to 300 meters from the valley where the major stores were or just I had to go through Alba to Barolo and vice versa.

This was compounded after I saw my neighbor tumble after skidding directly into the vineyard by more than a few feet, with his Panda so neatly between 2 extreme rows.

But what about snowfall this year?

Not to mention that snowfall is the guarantee of deep penetration into the soil and thus actually the tool to survive the months of no or hardly any rainfall (so necessary for the soil).

I get word from several vintners in our range. Thus, January ^28th - just when I had scheduled my appointments in Barolo and Barbaresco for those who were not at Grandi Langhe (the largest Piedmontese wine fair, yet 80% not present) there was a snowfall of not insignificant proportions. Enfin by late morning, arriving on site, it wasn't too bad.

Same period but in the Novara area there was no snowfall, neither before nor after. This is very contradictory because rain and possibly snowfall is more present even in the summer months in the area around Novara where Fara Novarese, Boca, Sizzano, Ghemme, Gattinara etc... are located.

The winery Mauro Vini located in Drônero, which is located in the Vaille Maira, 15 km from Cuneo, on the other hand, was then overwhelmed with snow. Here the winery pretty much benefits from snow tourism.

Snowfall in Piedmont is usually gradual, after 7 years of staying in Barolo and Barbaresco (2012 to 2019) I can say that I have never experienced mornings of more than 15 cm of snow.

However there are other areas in Italy that do experience bigger batches of snowfall in the vineyard which can damage young vines or if snowfall in spring buds.

So snow is for vineyards a natural friend that is preparatory for vine growth and development.