Barolo: Barolo town, cradle of Barolo

Barolo: different meanings

Barolo town, Barolo country, Barolo wine, Barolo Langhe: A name that unites so many excellences

Today I want to tell you about a particular town, the municipality of Barolo in the province of Cuneo, with about 700 inhabitants, located 15km from Alba and in the heart of the Langhe.

Barolo whereabouts: is a town located in the province of Cuneo, in the heart of the Langhe, famous for its wine of the same name. The city has a long history related to wine production, traces of which can be found as far back as the Middle Ages. Barolo, along with the territories of Langhe Roero and Monferrato, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014 for its wine landscapes.

Barolo Cuneo, a small town in Piedmont, is known to gourmets, lovers of good drinking. Bottles of Barolo mingle with the village Barolo, pleasantly linked! Barolo is a name that resonates in many countries around the world.

It is an exceptional case of a “brand” that has identified with its product. Doesn’t it seem like that to you, too? And just as Barbie is synonymous with the little doll that revolutionized the way little girls played 50 years ago, or Nutella that identifies the hazelnut and chocolate cream, although not a Ferrero brand, we have Barolo wine that names the town from which it originated and was conceived!

But let’s go back to Barolo town and try to visit it (disregarding, for now, its excellent wine)

What to see in Barolo:

• The Piedmont Barolo Regional Enoteca – Municipal Winery, where you can taste local wines and learn about the history of wine production in Barolo.
• Falletti Castle
• The Corkscrew Museum: Have you ever wondered how and when the corkscrew was born? Pause to think about how ingenious it is. Here you’ll find many interesting facts about this intriguing world.
• WiMu

Falletti Communal Castle of Barolo

On the hill of Barolo, there are records of a fortification as early as the 10th century.

In the lower part of the Castle, there are traces of this early building. It was severely damaged by looting and neglect. In the 16th century, it was rebuilt by Marquises Falletti. The family remained owners and inhabited the Castle, mostly in summer, until 1864. In this year, upon Giulia’s death, the Castle became, by will, a pious work.

From 1875 to 1958, Barolo College enabled many young people in the area to take advantage of scholarships and achieve reasonable goals. With this purpose, the castle was remodeled.

In 1970, the City of Barolo purchased the castle. And significant rehabilitation and restoration work began. Beginning in 1982, the cellars of the Barolo Regional Wine Cellar and the WiMu.

WiMu Interactive Wine Museum

A visit to the Castle cannot be separated from a visit to the Wine Museum. It is an attraction that appeals to everyone, even the little ones. On a pathway winding through several floors, you experience and understand the wonderful creation of wine. Nectar from the earth!

Created by François Confino, already famous for setting up exhibitions and museums worldwide, the Wimu aims to highlight the connection of wine and the vineyard with various civilizations and territories. The museum shows the almost poetic connection between wine and those who produce it.

I highly recommend it!

Now let’s talk about the wine: Why taste Barolo wine?

Barolo Italy, country and wine, take us to the world!

By law, Barolo is produced in Langhe’s designated communes. The best climate for the production of this wine comes from Nebbiolo grapes. The soil is particularly calcareous-clayey, almost sandy. And so the Nebbiolo grapes take on just THAT STRUCTURE and PERFUME (I still haven’t figured out how to convey that to you!).

Some cru that deserve your attention? Bussia of Monforte d’Alba, Cannubi of Barolo, Villero of Castiglione Falletto. Three crus with three very defined and particular characters.

The Barolo must age at least 38 months, resting for 18 months in wooden barrels. The Barolo Riserva, on the other hand, has been “resting” for a full five years!

Fresh and lively ruby red with orange hues. The aroma of rose, vanilla, and tobacco. In short…intoxicating!

For the palate, it is a delight that accompanies you from the very first sip. Tasting several vintages is advisable, indeed, not to be missed!

How to accompany Barolo wine?

Barolo accompanies meat dishes, roasts, braised meats, lamb or kid, and games. Excellent with aged cheeses, such as gorgonzola and Castelmagno. But I also love it with dark chocolate! It makes me very meditative!

Where to taste Barolo?

Major wineries or small, family-owned wineries. New wineries with beautiful views and futuristic furnishings or wineries handed down from father to son that smell of history and tradition.

A Tour of Barolo can include every type of winery. It is up to you to choose what you would like to learn about or to rely on us to build you a Tour with many curious insights and tastings of various types and depths.

A Barolo Discovery Tour, for a wine lover, is almost a must. It is a ritual you will carry inside the good memories album! Here you can find a Barolo tasting tour designed to introduce you to this King of Piedmont Red Wines.

History of Barolo and Barolo

How is the history of Italy intertwined with Barolo? And how does Camillo Benso di Cavour influence the economy of this area?

In 1832, young Camillo Benso di Cavour was sent by his father to Grinzane, where the family owned a large estate used for growing vineyards. Cavour, who already loved agriculture and viticulture, began to study the soils and methods of wine production.

Here I insert two critical figures: Louis Oudart and General Staglieno.

In 1826 Staglieno and Oudart began a collaboration and produced wines with two different philosophies. General Staglieno, considered a valuable winemaker, was in charge of the cellars at Grinzane Castle and young Camillo joined him with curiosity and new ideas to consider. Louis Oudart, on the other hand, collaborated in the Royal Estates of Pollenzo.

Staglieno argued that quality wines should ferment in closed tanks. He thought they should be airtight tanks with vent valves. The wines improved but lacked body and had little aroma. As Oudart understood them, French-style wines were vinified traditionally. He intuited that Nebbiolo should be vinified as a red, dry wine.

Cavour had the opportunity to collaborate with Oudart, with whom he had many written conversations, exchanging innovative ideas and suggestions.

Some of the rules that remained among the writings are still very relevant today and form, in truth, the basis of an excellent way of winemaking!

GRAPE TYPES: use only one grape variety or at most 2-3 that are complementary and in any case, always check the level of ripeness.
TIME OF HARVEST: harvest grapes in dry weather, pick perfectly healthy and well-ripened bunches, select during harvest, treat the bunches with care, and take the groups to the first processing immediately
PRESS THE GRAPES AND PRESS THE MUST: gently press the clusters, do not crush the stems, and move the must to oxygenate it
FERMENTATION: always with attention to timing. They must be “just right” to avoid extracting too much tannin.
PRESSING: The new wine, the first result of the press, must immediately go into the barrel. Keep the temperature constant; fermentation must never stall! It may be necessary to add sulfur (sulfites)
DECANT: when, how, always avoiding too cold, humid days. Do a second fermentation and then cure the wines after racking.

It sounds like the essential handbook of the excellent winemaker, much of which is still perfectly current!

And now, I bet you’re in the mood for a Barolo tasting!