"What's in a name?" is the question Shakespeare’s Juliet asks about a rose. We could ask the same question about one of Italy’s most noble grapes: Nebbiolo. The grape is lauded for making some of the world’s most coveted wines. But the celebrated wines of Barolo and Barbaresco almost never include the Nebbiolo name on their labels.

This all has to do with European wine laws. The EU protects wines produced in various geographical regions for specific characteristics and qualities that make them unique. Following EU criteria, Italian wine law further delineates four levels of quality. The highest tier, which the regions above qualify for, is called DOCG (meaning ‘guaranteed designation of origin’). The terroir of the Barolo and Barbaresco regions is now so famous for producing fine Nebbiolo wines, it is unnecessary to name the star grape on the label.

These DOCG regions are located in the Langhe hills of Piedmont. Langhe Nebbiolo wines grown anywhere outside of the DOCG zones are named 'Nebbiolo delle Langhe' and are classified as DOC, the second best quality tier.

It is in the Langhe hills, just outside of the Barolo region, where Diego Conterno and his son Stefano are crafting their modern yet elegant Nebbiolo wines. With about twenty acres of organically-farmed and hand-harvested vineyards, the father and son duo are reinterpreting classic Nebbiolo into a lively, approachable, and affordable style of wine perfect for pairing with today’s lighter gastronomy.

If you want to discover a contemporary Nebbiolo wine, try the one named ‘baluma’.