Should you have lunch with the Vajra family in Piemonte as a friend rather than a guest chances are you will be drinking Dolcetto, not Barolo. Tradition has it that Dolcetto is the blood that runs in the veins of the people of Piemonte or so Isi Vajra wants us have it. Dolcetto is a daily habit in Piemonte one way or another. Easy to gulp down with plenty of cherry fruit, mild on the palate and low levels of tannin, it is one of the most attractive grapes in north Italy. The Vajra family loves Dolcetto and gives it room to grow next to Nebbiolo in some of the best locations in the area. This is a wine with essence and fruit, with slightly structured beautiful tannins; an expressive, “serious” version of the variety that sees no oak at all.