Private Collection: Aged Chinato
4/12/26 -
Chinato is an aromatized wine that has a long history of production in Piedmont. It is said to have originated in the late 19th century, first made by Giuseppe Cappellano, who was a pharmacist by trade. From there, it quickly grew in popularity as an after-dinner drink, with many other Barolo producers starting to create their own recipes. The drink takes its name from quinine, the compound extracted from bark of the Cinchona calisaya tree (and other sub-species), which is the principle ingredient that links all these wines together. Quinine has been used as a bittering agent for European liqueurs and tonics (including tonic water) for centuries. From there, each producer varies slightly, with many of the recipes being closely guarded family secrets, though all being a wonderful combination of bitter, spicy, and savory herbs and other ingredients, softened with a touch of sugar. Perfect as an accompaniment to dark chocolate, or simply to "settle the stomach" after a big meal.
We've collected some historic bottlings from long-lived and heralded Barolo estates. While it is difficult to exactly date these bottles, most of them were made in the 1960s and 1970s, though a few are more recent. We've tried to estimate as best as possible where we could, based on tax stamps and label design.
