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Piemonte — Wine Region Guide

Dajeong Lim M.D.
DipWSET · CMS Advanced Sommelier (Leslie Rudd Award 2024) · FWS · IWS · SWS
Wine educator of PDT Seoul · Editor of YourOwnWineEncyclopedia.com · Last reviewed June 2026

The Piemonte maps from Your Own Wine Encyclopedia — every name tag opens a study card. Below, the chapter's own geography, climate and geology notes.

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3 screens from the interactive map
On the map
Langhe (Barolo & Barbaresco) · Barolo · Barbaresco · Roero · +7 more
Interactive map
Terrain & satellite · every name tag opens a study card
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Wine Maps — PiemonteSubscriber
Piemonte · Overview
Piemonte. Barolo and Barbaresco in the Langhe, Roero across the Tanaro, Gattinara and Ghemme to the north.
Wine Maps — Piemonte · BaroloSubscriber
Barolo · MGA
Every Barolo MGA, by commune. Cannubi · Brunate · Cerequio · Rocche dell'Annunziata · Vigna Rionda and the rest.
Wine Maps — Piemonte · Barolo · satelliteSubscriber
Barolo · Satellite
The same crus on satellite. Brunate, shared between Barolo and La Morra, with the producers who hold it.

From the encyclopedia — geography, climate & geology

Topography

  • Cradled on three sides by the Alps and Apennines
    • South: Ligurian Apennines & Maritime Alps (border with Liguria & France)
    • West: Alps (border with France)
    • North: Alps (border with Valle d'Aosta & Switzerland)
    • East: Lombardia & Emilia-Romagna
  • 3 concentric topographical rings: outer mountain rim → middle hilly zone → inner plain
  • Mountains: 43% of territory; highest in western/northern portions (Gran Paradiso, Monte Rosa)
  • Hills: 30% of territory; home to the great majority of winegrowing districts
    • Vineyard elevations: 150–400m (500–1,300 ft)
    • Monferrato (largest hill network): Asti & Alessandria provinces
    • Langhe & Roero: Cuneo province
    • Hills of Novara & Vercelli: Alto Piemonte
    • Colli Tortonesi: Alessandria province
  • Plain: 27% of territory; upper Po Valley (Pianura Padana); too flat/fertile for vine → principal crop is rice
    • Italy = largest rice producer in Europe; Piemonte = largest in Italy
    • Arborio rice: from town of Arborio (Vercelli province); highest quality for risotto
  • 2 hill systems: Monferrato hills (east of the Langhe) and Langhe hills — calcareous marl and sandstone soils with varying percentages of clay and sand

Rivers:

  • 3 important rivers: Po, Tanaro, Sesia
  • Po River: rises in the Western Alps, flows eastward, centrally bisecting the region
  • Tanaro River: in the Cuneo province; Barolo & Barbaresco located southeast of the river
  • Sesia River: straddles Gattinara DOCG and Ghemme DOCG
  • Po tributaries from Alps (flowing south): Ticino, Sesia, Dora Baltea, Dora Riparia
  • Tributaries from Ligurian Apennines (flowing north): Tanaro, Bormida

★ MS 2026 Korea: "Which unofficial wine region of Piedmont is associated with the Sesia River?" → Alto Piemonte

Lakes:

  • Lake Maggiore: largest lake in Piemonte, northeastern border with Lombardia

Climate & Weather

  • Continental climate; wide diurnal and seasonal temperature swings
Read the full Piemonte chapter

On the map