As Barolo and Barbaresco creep up in price, Nebb-heads have been scouring Northern Italy for the next hot region.

Some have embraced Nebbiolo from the old terroirs of Valtellina, Ghemme, and Carema, but wines from these steep, low yielding appellations are scarce, and prices reflect that.

It's just a matter of time before Nebbiolo fans set their sights on Roero. Even though Roero carries Italy’s highest classification, DOCG, it has yet to catch up in price with other Nebbiolo DOCGs.

Barolo producers were among the first to discover the high quality of Roero's Nebbiolo, and have used it as a source for their DOC bottlings for decades. Indeed the Roero DOCG may never have been established if it weren't for the encouragement of Barolo legends, such as Roberto Voerzio.

It was Voerzio who encouraged his Roero grower, Matteo Correggia, to bottle his own Nebbiolo and label it proudly from Roero.

Voerzio was right. When Correggia launched Roero's first Cru Nebbiolo in 1987, the wine was an instant success, gaining international distribution with Marc Degrazia.

What makes Roero such a great region for Nebbiolo are its unique vineyards, with their steep slopes and sandy soils from ancient seabeds, which produce wines that are silkier and more approachable than Barolo or Barbaresco.

Roero's quality has continued to improve since gaining DOCG status in 2004, and it's still tiny, producing less than Valtellina. It's only a matter of time before Nebb-heads catch on and prices catch up.

No one in Roero takes Nebbiolo more seriously than Matteo Correggia's son, Giovanni Correggia. Young Giovanni has his father's dedication to making wines in the vineyard -- farming is organic; wines are made with a light touch.

Correggia offers three tiers of Roero Nebbiolo, including two intriguing, distinctive 'crus'.

The lighter 'cru' is Val dei Preti Roero Riserva. The vineyard is carved from fine sandy soil along with coarse sand and silt, which gives the wine bright acidity and elegance. It's a great choice for Pinot Noir fans.

The more Barolo-esque ‘cru’ is the Roche d’Ampsej Roero Riserva. The vineyard's cliffs are carved from the ancient floods of the Tanaro river which gouged deep chasms in the fine sandy ocean floor soils of the region. The resulting wine is one of power and depth, very reminiscent to the Barolos of La Morra.