1996 Piedmonts The Vintage of The Decade Rated 96 Points as A Vintage...The 1996 vintage from Piedmont is considered by many wine makers as the best vintage of the decade. Here are five of the best while current inventory lasts. Rated 82 points by The Wine Spectator. Nebbiolo (a dry red table wine) Floral and cherry character, with a hint of animal earthiness. Full-bodied, with ripe fruit and a slightly dry finish. Seems not completely clean. Best after 2001. 500 cases made. 1996 Icardi "Parej" Barolo, Piedmont, Italy 750ml Price $48.99 1996 Pertinace Barbaresco "Nervo", Piedmont, Italy 750ml Price $39.99 Rinaldi Barolo 1996, Piedmont, Italy 750ml Price $79.99 Piedmont Wine Region Piedmont is the largest wine region in the country producing, along with Tuscany, the majority of the fine wines of Italy. There are 36 DOCs and 4 DOCGs. The latest wine to get DOCG recognition was Moscato d'Asti in 1993. With a production of more than 20,800 gallons per year, the amount of Moscato d'Asti produced is second only to Chianti in Italy and is the largest volume is sparkling wine generated in the world with the exception of France's Champagne. The production of Piedmonts wine is concentrated in three areas, Monferrato (the area surrounding Asti), Alessandria (near Alba) and Le "Langhe" (which includes Canelli). The wine zones are divided into two parts: the Alpine foothills to the north and the Monferrato and Langhe hills to the south. As in Burgundy, the wine zones are fragmented into an average of 2.5 acres per owner. Piedmont is Italy's western most region and borders Switzerland and France on the other side of the Alps. Geography goes a long way to explain the region's name, as Piedmont literally translates to "foot of the mountain" which is precisely where the region is located. The vineyards of Piedmont do fall victim to a difficult climate with distinct changes of season. Winters are cold with plenty of snowfall. Summers are warm and dry. Fog settles in around harvest time. Vineyards are planted in the strict belief that they belong on hills and not plains and they are harvested at some of the lowest yields in Italy. Piedmont is most famous for Nebbiolo, however, Dolcetto is the base for some of Piedmont's most enjoyable wines and significant progress has been made in recent years by Barbera which makes both strong wine worthy of comparison to fine Nebbiolos and delightfully youthful and fruity reds. Modern reds have also emerged in northern Piedmont in areas like Ghemme and Gattinara.