Gabiano is a DOC of the Piedmont wine region in north-western Italy. Gabiano is unique among Piedmont DOCs because it was the only one created in the 1980s (specifically, 1983). However, two DOCGs were created in the early months of that decade, and they happened to be among the first DOCGs ever created: Piedmont's two most prestigious wines, Barolo and Barbaresco. Barolo, along with its Tuscan counterpart Brunello, was the very first, created on 1 July 1980.
This DOC covers red wines made from Barbera, the region's most widely planted red wine variety, with a mandatory splash (5–10%) of Freisa and Grignolino, either as a blend or individually. A classic Gabiano wine does not vary greatly from a Barbera d'Asti (although the tighter production restrictions on the latter should theoretically lead to a wine of greater structure and complexity). Gabiano is a mid-bodied red wine with tangy acidity, moderate tannins and plummy, cherry-like aromas.
Gabiano itself is a town located on the right bank of the Po river, which winds eastwards from the Cottian Alps to the Adriatic coast 250 miles (400km) away. The town and the Gabiano catchment area lie within the boundaries of the more prestigious Barbera d'Asti DOCG and the lesser-known Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese, confirming this as an area specializing in Barbera and Grignolino. While local Barbera has excelled in almost every way (viticultural, oenological and commercial), Grignolino has not enjoyed the same success. As a result Piedmont's Grignolino vines are less profitable than their Barbera counterparts, and few, if any, Grignolino seedlings are being planted. Naturally this means less and less Grignolino will be used in Gabiano wines in years to come. Whether or not this is a bad thing is a matter open to debate.
