Dolcetto Wine: Characteristics, Food Pairings, Best Bottles To Buy (2024)

Dolcetto is an early maturing red grape grown widely in the Monferrato hills of the Piedmont region, northwestern Italy. Its name means “little sweet one” in Italian, but, ironically, it produces dry and moderately tannic wines.

Dolcetto wines offer light acidity, black fruit flavors, dark spice aromas, and earthy undertones of walnuts.

In this article, we’ll explore the Dolcetto wine characteristics, the 10 best bottles to buy now, food pairings, how Dolcetto differs from Nebbiolo and Barbera, and the famous Dolcetto wine regions.

Dolcetto Wine Characteristics

The Dolcetto grape contains high amounts of anthocyanins - chemical compounds that give grapes a dark red color. This grape produces soft, round, and dark-colored wines with brilliant freshness, refreshing acidity, and black fruit flavors.

Dolcetto wines usually undergo short, gentle fermentation, and this gives them pronounced tannins and a bitter finish. 

10 Best Dolcetto Wines To Buy In 2024 (Including Tasting Notes)

1. 1985 Bersano Dolcetto d'Alba, Piedmont, Italy
2. 1979 Poderi Luigi Einaudi Dolcetto di Dogliani DOCG, Piedmont, Italy
3. 2015 Bartolo Mascarello Dolcetto d'Alba, Piedmont, Italy
4. 2015 Salvano Fosco Dolcetto di Diano d'Alba, Dolcetto di Diano d'Alba DOCG, Italy
5. 2016 Acorn Winery Alegria Vineyards Dolcetto, Russian River Valley, USA
6. 2012 Palmina Dolcetto, Santa Barbara County, USA
7. 2018 Idlewild Fox Hill Vineyard Dolcetto, Mendocino, USA
8. 2019 Heron's Flight Dolcetto Reserve, Matakana, New Zealand
9. 2020 Unico Zelo 'Jungle Jungle' Polish Hill River Dolcetto, Clare Valley, Australia
10. 2016 Ceravolo Dolcetto, Adelaide Hills, Australia

1. 1985 Bersano Dolcetto d'Alba, Piedmont, Italy ($77)

This wine has a vibrant cranberry aroma, incredible freshness, low tannin, good acidity, and a cherry flavor with subtle citrus fruit, baking spice, and violet notes.

2. 1979 Poderi Luigi Einaudi Dolcetto di Dogliani DOCG, Piedmont, Italy ($65)

This Dolcetto wine bottle opens with medium acidity, refined tannins, black fruit aromas, and a black plum flavor with black tea, licorice, and bitter almond notes. 

3. 2015 Bartolo Mascarello Dolcetto d'Alba, Piedmont, Italy ($54)

This wine has light tannins, balanced acidity, fruity flavors, and cherry aromas with spice and floral notes. 

4. 2015 Salvano Fosco Dolcetto di Diano d'Alba, Dolcetto di Diano d'Alba DOCG, Italy ($48)

This lovely wine from northwest Italy boasts remarkable acidity, incredible freshness, tart cherry aromas, and red fruit flavors of strawberry, plum, and raspberry.

5. 2016 Acorn Winery Alegria Vineyards Dolcetto, Russian River Valley, USA ($42)

This Dolcetto wine has medium tannin, high acidity, red fruit aromas, and a black cherry flavour with spice, vanilla, and citrus fruit notes. 

6. 2012 Palmina Dolcetto, Santa Barbara County, USA ($33)

This wine bottle opens with good acidity, soft tannin, a raspberry aroma, and black plum flavors with subtle spice, licorice, and earthy notes. 

7. 2018 Idlewild Fox Hill Vineyard Dolcetto, Mendocino, USA ($33)

This red wine shines with balanced acidity, brilliant freshness, red fruit flavors, and a raspberry aroma with subtle black cherry and floral notes 

8. 2019 Heron's Flight Dolcetto Reserve, Matakana, New Zealand ($23)

This fruity, elegant wine boasts refreshing acidity, crisp minerality, dark fruit flavors, and cherry aromas with plum and violet notes.

9. 2020 Unico Zelo 'Jungle Jungle' Polish Hill River Dolcetto, Clare Valley, Australia ($19)

This lovely wine has remarkable acidity, supple tannins, floral aromas, and a red fruit flavour with subtle spice and herb notes. 

10. 2016 Ceravolo Dolcetto, Adelaide Hills, Australia ($16)

This red wine has a velvety texture, bright acidity, floral aromas, and red fruit flavors of cherries, plum, and strawberry. 

Food Pairings With Dolcetto Wines

Dolcetto wines are light, easy-drinking beverages that complement various dishes.

Pair these wines with cheese, pasta, salami, chickpeas, spinach, red meat, and vegetables.

How Does Dolcetto Differ From Nebbiolo And Barbera?

The Dolcetto grape variety matures two to three weeks earlier than Nebbiolo and Barbera.

While it’s no match to the prestigious Barbera and Nebbiolo grape varieties, Dolcetto has some plus points. 

It ripens sooner and is relatively easier to cultivate, so it’s usually brought to market sooner than Barbera or Nebbiolo wines.

So, winegrowers usually plant the Dolcetto grape variety on less favored sites to generate income while waiting for Nebbiolo and Barbera grapes to mature.

The Dolcetto grape produces affordable, easy-drinking wines that are best enjoyed young. Barbera wines aren’t investment-worthy, but they could be worth cellaring in the future.

Meanwhile, the Nebbiolo grape produces pricey and investment-worthy wines.

Dolcetto wines cost between $7-$60, Barbera wines cost between $3-$250, and Nebbiolo wines cost between $8-$5,300.

Dolcetto Wine Regions

Dolcetto vines are grown almost exclusively in the Piedmont region, northwest Italy. Here are the famous Italian regions where they’re cultivated:

• Diano d'Alba: Dolcetto vines from this hilly appellation are planted on calcareous, sandy, and tufa-rich soils. They produce ruby-red wines with fruity complexity, moderate acidity, and spice notes.
• Dogliani: The Dogliani appellation comprises vineyard sites with limestone-rich soils. Dolcetto wines from this region are full-bodied, intensely perfumed, and have a rich black fruit character.
• Ovada: The Ovada appellation comprises rich clay soils and is surrounded by the Stura di Ovada and Orba rivers. Dolcetto wines from this region are medium-bodied and have moderate tannins, fresh acidity, and red berry aromas.
• Liguria: This region comprises limestone-rich soils and is famous for producing Dolcetto wines with remarkable freshness, supple tannins, and fresh chestnut aromas.

Outside Piedmont, here are the other regions where the Dolcetto vine is grown:

• USA
• New Zealand
• Australia
• France
• Canada

Dolcetto Wine: A Delicious Drink For Your Special Occasions

If you want a delicious wine that’ll impress the visitors around your dinner table, then pick a fine Dolcetto wine.

However, Dolcetto wines should be consumed within 3-4 years after release. So, these wines aren’t ideal for long-term cellaring.

If you want to discover fine wine investment, head to the Vinovest website. It offers a simple way to buy, store, and sell investment-grade bottles from around the world.