Climate
Although benefiting from a classic continental climate, the area is far enough North to fall into Europe's temperate zone - the source of most of the 'old world's' premium red wines. It may come as something of a surprise to learn that Alba and Asti are on a similar latitude to Bordeaux. This is not the sun-baked Italy of the tourist guides: the proximity of the Alps has a significant effect in maintaining reasonably cool and even temperatures throughout the year. Winters can be very long and cold with snow on the ground well into the late spring (this, incidentally, is an excellent time to spot the best vineyard sites: they are those where the snow melts first, indicating optimum exposure to the sun). Summers can occasionally be fairly hot and dry.
Generally there is much less fluctuation in temperature between the months of March and October (roughly speaking the growing season of the vine). The following table, compiled from average monthly temperatures (measured in °C) over a period of 35 years, illustrates the point:
Table 1.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 1.56 | 3.69 | 7.19 | 11.23 | 15.99 | 19.97 | 22.23 | 21.5 | 18.19 | 12.83 | 7.01 | 2.69 |
Rainfall is spread fairly evenly across the calendar, with peaks in late spring
(April and May) and early to mid-autumn (October and November). The table of
average monthly rainfall (measured in millimetres) is based on the same parameters
as temperature:
Table 2.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 31.53 | 41.17 | 52.83 | 72.24 | 84.77 | 44.87 | 16.47 | 44.93 | 38.78 | 72.83 | 59.19 | 40.78 |
Given the high average rainfall in October it is not difficult to sympathize
with Nebbiolo growers and their prayers that the rain will hold off until their
crop is harvested. Vintages, particularly for the Nebbiolo, are as reliable
as in any other important- wine-producing zone: there are on average two outstanding
years a decade. Because of the Langhe's location, hail is a great danger. Storms
from the northwest (the Valle d'Aosta) pass over well-irrigated plains subject
to strong evaporation and rise at the first physical obstacle - the Langhe.
Due to the presence of the Monferrato hills storms from the east are much less
of a problem. Hailstorms can have a devastating effect: In 1986 some Piemonte
producers reported a total loss of their crop owing to just twenty minutes of
hail on 29 May.
The problem is a perennial one. The topography of the area - spine like ridges with a multitude of lateral spurs and valleys - creates a large number of individual microclimates, making generalizations on the nature of the climate as a whole more difficult.
The climate of the viticultural Piemonte can, however, be summarized as: cold winters (December-February); cool, wet springs (March-May); warm, fairly dry summers (June-September) and damp, foggy autumns (October and November). However, inconsistencies of the climate make every year different and the changing patterns of ray sun, flood, drought, heat, cold, hail, snow and fog make up the addictive lottery upon which all producers gamble their livelihoods.