Producing Barolo As previously mentioned in this book's brief historical summary, Barolo was produced in two different ways right from the start: Staglieno's method, giving a mellow wine, as suited to the tastes prevailing in Italy at the time and Oudart's method, giving a drier, French-style one. This, after all, was to be expected - it is quite acceptable that a great wine be subject to diverse interpretations, as long as its essential characteristics are preserved. Of indisputable importance is the grape: only Nebbiolo grown within the classic Barolo zone of the Langhe can be used. Nebbiolo, as Fantini wrote, is the 'Prince of Vines' and certainly the greatest of all Piedmontese grapes. Barolo aside, the Nebbiolo grape gives rise to many other varieties of Piedmontese wine: Barbaresco, Nebbiolo d'Alba, Roero, Gattinara, Ghemme, Carema, Boca, Sizzano, Lessona, Fara and Bramaterra, plus Donnas and Arnad-Monjovet from the Aosta valley and the fine reds of the Valtellina area: Sassello, Grumello and Inferno. The regulatory body requires Barolo to be made with 100% Nebbiolo and, adulterated wines aside, we've noted just two exceptions to this rule during the course of Barolo's history: as Fantini remarked, "Count Oudart, engaged by Count Cavour to produce wine on his estate at Grinzane, added some fine, well-matured Neirano to his Nebbiolo, in the proportion of one to ten. This blend aided early and complete development of esters, essential for the perfume characteristic of Barolo." The second example, confirmed by Massè and some of our present-day interviewees, is that of adding a small quantity, usually from 3 to 5%, of Barbera grapes to the Nebbiolo vat in order to improve colour and acidity; Massè notes that "…others add some Barbera to the mature Barolo in order to deepen its ruby-red colour". These historical precedents could be considered grist to the mill of those who would like the possibility of blending Barolo with other varieties, which will be discussed later. At the present time, the only addition permitted by the regulatory body is of 15% of Barolo of a different vintage. In this, Barolo differs from many other great reds, such as Bordeaux, which are obtained using blends of different grapes, in that it is an absolutely pure 'monovitigno', or single-varietal wine. Massè, in 1928, wrote the following accurate description of Nebbiolo: "In the Barolo region, it is grown in rows and, though good siting is always essential, the best wine is produced from the oldest vines with long canes, neither over nor under-pruned. The same vine pruned down to ten buds will produce a much better-quality fruit, and therefore also wine, than those pruned to twelve, fourteen or fifteen buds.