DOLCETTO & PIEMONTE W inter in the Langhe. The temperature drops, the days grow short, harvest seems a distant memory. Vine leaves change color and fall to the ground, and the bramble of naked branches slips into dormancy. Some industrious souls venture out to get a head start on pruning before the holidays, leaving rows of stumps with a single cane standing stolidly against the steely sky. But most retreat indoors. The blue glow of TV filters out through closed shutters while inhabitants huddle around wood fires. People seek comfort and sustenance. And many find it through food and wine. This is the time when traditional dishes of the Langhe really make 22 WINE & SPIRITS FEBRUARY 2021 sense. Long, slow cooking concentrates the essence of simple ingredients handled with care and respect-food that is both healthy for the body and nutritious for the soul. These dishes are an expression of the local cultural terroir, and the act of producing and consuming them reaffirms the identity of the people that live there. This also holds true for the wines that traditionally accompany them. The Langhe produces some of the most prestigious wines in the world, such as Barolo and Barbaresco. These are great wines. They are also expensive and what Italians call impegnativo (demanding). Traditionally, Barolo was considered a " vino da regalo, " a wine given as a gift to important people or reserved for important occasions. Photographs by ELISA CARUCCI