Barolo Chinato (kee-NA-toe) is an digestive from the Barolo DOCG in Piedmont, Italy. It was originally created by a pharmacist as a remedy for common ailments, including upset stomach and a colicky baby. It is made by soaking medicinal herbs with a neutral base alcohol, like vermouth, to extract the flavors. The resulting elixir is then combined with Barolo DOCG wine and allowed it to age in oak barrels for a prolonged period to allow the flavors to meld. The finished product is then served at room temperature, usually following a large meal. I tried a couple of Chinatos during my travels. The first was the most well known and reputable brands. It was quite reminiscent of a blend of cherry cough syrup and Jagermeister with significant bitterness. The following day, we were taken to the home of Stephano and Stefania for lunch. Stephano was the longtime cellarmaster at La Spinetta winery and recently retired. During lunch, he offered us a sample of his own Chinato that he makes in small batches at home. He brought out his secret recipe to see if a pharmacist could decipher what his proprietary herbs were. He had taken the same list to the local pharmacist to order the herbs and double check with the recipe to ensure it looked right. The pharmacist gave his approval and ordered everything for him. Stephano’s version was significantly more palatable than the commercially available product.
While on my travels, I tried a 2017 Chinato made by Stephano. It was a medium tawny color. The intense aromatics included dried orange peel, root beer, cinnamon stick, and medicinal herbs. This wine had a level of sweetness but wasn’t syrupy sweet. The acid in the wine helped balance some of the sugar. The high level of alcohol was unmistakable. The tannins from the Barolo were very minimal and what was present was well integrated on the palate. This wine was smooth, lacking the aforementioned bitterness in the other brand. The medicinal notes were more minimal and far removed from Jagermeister. The others that also tried both versions were pleasantly surprised by Stephano’s rendition. We paired it with a cheese plate and a chocolate bunet, a traditional dessert in the Piedmont region of Italy (similar to a chocolate flan). Also, as a side note, when I tried these, they both seemed to have curative properties for my head cold symptoms. Whether the effect is from the herbs or the high alcohol content will remain unknown!
-TheLooseTannin
A Trip Around the World of Wine in 52 Weeks 