Itinerary : Langhe, Alba and Barolo

Piedmont: north Italy

Description of the itinerary 

The hills of the Langhe district south of Alba sketch out a helter-skelter route, uphill, downhill, and round the bends that form the boundaries of Piedmont’s finest vineyards. This is the kingdom of Barolo: wine of kings, king of wines. Not that other important wines are lacking; Nebbiolo, Dolcetto and Barbera, for example. Within the space of just a few kilometres the route takes in all the most famous towns and hamlets of the area, from Barolo itself to La Morra, from Monforte to Serralunga d’Alba, in a succession of ancient estates and mediaeval towers hidden in succession of fields and vineyards.

Wines: Dolcetto d’Alba Verduno Pelaverga Barolo
Specialities: Murazzano Robiola di Roccaverano Tajarin Tartufo d’Alba Torta di nocciole

 Itinerary in detail:
Alba | Roddi | Verduno | La Morra | Annunziata | Barolo | Novello | Monforte d’Alba | Castiglione Falletto | Serralunga d’Alba | Gallo | Grinzane Cavour 

Alba, capital of the Langhe

The obligatory starting point for any trip in the area is Alba, an important agricultural and industrial centre, as well as a centre for tourism. An ancient Roman settlement, the city as it is now was largely built in mediaeval times and conserves its ancient shape in the layout of its historic centre with its red-hued towers. This alone, together with the charm of its busy shopping streets, makes the city worth a visit. Start at Piazza Garibaldi, where there are the Law Courts (Palazzo del Tribunale). Go down Via Cavour, with its mediaeval towers and palazzi, until you reach Piazza del Duomo, home of both the civil and religious authorities. The cathedral has magnificent works of art from the sixteenth century and a wonderful inlayed-wood choir. The imposing fifteenth-century bell tower is built around the remains of an original Romanesque structure. The Town Hall (Palazzo del Comune) is built on the remains of Roman walls. Alba’s town centre radiates out from these buildings. An ancient, narrow street, full of shops, Via Vittorio Emanuele, leads from Piazza del Duomo to Piazza Savona, the lively commercial centre. This is a shopping paradise, especially if you are looking for gourmet food and wine souvenirs. The capital city of the Langhe holds several important festivals: Vinum (April/May) - a fair dedicated to the great wines of Alba, the Langhe and Roero; the Palio degli Asini (first Sunday of October) - a donkey race in the historic city centre preceded by a sumptuous parade in period costume; Fiera Nazionale del Tartufo di Alba (last three weeks of October) - the Alba truffle festival, which attracts fans of this most precious and expensive delicacy from all over the world. 

The royal castle at Verduno

Exit Alba using Corso Piave and turn right after four kilometres towards Roddi, a fortified hilltop town dominated by its XV century castle. Roddi is a charming mediaeval town, very typical of the area, which owes its fame to a unique distinction: it is the “university town” for truffle hounds. This is where dogs come to learn how to sniff out buried truffles. Leave Roddi and proceed towards the heart of the Langhe until Verduno , with its pretty eighteenth-century castle. Built by the Marchesi Caisotti, it was eventually sold with all its surrounding vineyards to King Carlo Alberto of Savoy, who liked the wine of the region so much that he decided to become a producer himself. Today the castle is in private hands, but its vineyards continue to produce excellent wines. Besides the production of Barolo and other traditional DOC wines, Verduno has become important for the rediscovery of Pelaverga, an ancient local grape producing an eponymous wine that has been pulled back from the brink of extinction. Thanks to the efforts of local growers, a new DOC for Pelaverga has now been approved and new vineyards are being planted.

La Morra: panoramic views over Piedmont

On past Verduno the road rises slightly to the crest of a hill, making ever wider curves through ever more ample vineyards on the approach to the heart of the Barolo region. After about five kilometres comes La Morra, one of the most famous sub-zones of Barolo. The town began life as a castle, until, in the XVI century, the French occupying army forced its inhabitants to destroy it, on pain of pillage and destruction. The order was carried out and today the remains of the old ramparts are a place to walk, and admire a fabulous panoramic view. Half Piedmont lies spread out in a succession of hills and valleys, villages, castles, and watch towers. La Morra is an ancient settlement, with many local finds dating back to the Romans. But the most impressive signs of the past lie in its place names: Costa Ungaresca recalls the depredations of the Hungarians in the year 1000 AD; Serra dei Turchi is a reminder of the Saracen invasions. 

Annunziata

Leaving La Morra along the slope that crosses the vineyards towards Gallo, the road leads to the district of Annunziata, home of the Antiche Cantine dell’Abbazia dell’Annunziata (Ancient Cellars of the Abbey of the Annunciation). This is one of the most famous wineries of the region and produces a range of wines including Barolo, Barbera d’Alba, Dolcetto d’Alba, Campetto Colombè, and Nebbiolo d’Alba Ochetti di Monteu. Two new barrique-aged wines are worth tasting as well: Cabernet I Cedri, and Villa Pattono, a blend of Barbera and Freisa grapes. A fascinating small museum of wine-related artefacts includes tools for use in the fields, wine-jars from down the ages and documents about the history of the wines of Alba. 

Barolo

The town of Barolo lies at a lower elevation than La Morra. The road runs towards the district of Vergne along a ridgeback hill and then passes the ruins of the castle of Volta. Slightly further on a fork in the road is signposted for Barolo. Famous vineyards lie to the right and left, including some of the best known cru sites, such as Cerequio, Sarmassa, Cannubi, and Brunate. Houses cluster around the majestic castle that was once home to the Marchesi Falletti. The history of Barolo began here when the wife of Marchese Carlo Tancredi, the last of the Falletti, instructed French oenologist, Louis Oudart, to overhaul the way wine was made on the vast family estates. The experiment was so successful that King Carlo Alberto himself asked the Marchesa for samples when he heard of it and subsequently bought the castle and estates of Verduno to make some of this wonderful Barolo wine himself.

Novello and Monforte

Novello and Monforte d’Alba are the far southern outposts of Barolo country. Novello , in fact, began life in mediaeval times as a defensive outpost. There was once a castle belonging to the Del Carretto family, where Marchese Manfredo was murdered by his grandsons in 1340. Few traces remain nowadays, and what is left was incorporated into a private house in the last century. The village has a pretty eighteenth-century church exuding typical Langhe peacefulness. From Novello the route doubles back on itself for a while, following the signs for Monforte d’Alba. The name itself reveals the strategic function of the settlement (Monte = hill; forte = strong), and over the centuries it was frequently besieged in the many conflicts between local lords and the town of Alba. Monforte’s castle as seen now is of eighteenth-century origin. Some of the most illustrious and world famous names in Italian winemaking have their wineries in the territory of Monforte. 

Castiglione and Serralunga d’Alba

There are two ways to return to Alba from Monforte, both keeping to Barolo country routes in the Langhe. The first follows the descent to Castglione Falletto and Gallo with a more tortuous and parallel road that runs via the Fontanafredda estate. The second is slightly longer, but more scenic, and runs to the first houses in Roddino where a lefthand turn leads to Serralunga d’Alba. Vineyards are everywhere, whatever route is chosen. Just before Serralunga, for example, the road crosses the celebrated Bricco Rocche cru vineyard area belonging to the Ceretto brothers. It is worth visiting Castiglione Falletto for the castle with its three corner towers and a central keep, that once belonged to the family of the Marchesi Falletti and still affords a view over other castles in the area. More important is the nearby mediaeval castle of Serralunga d’Alba, now publicly owned and open to visitors. The road runs down the valley where a right turn leads immediately after a few hundred metres to the extensive vineyards of the Tenimenti di Barolo e Fontanafredda, and thence to Alba. The estate was founded in 1878 by Count of Mirafiori and today belongs to a bank. 

Grinzane Cavour Castle

From Fontanafredda the road runs directly to Alba, but just before the town goes through Gallo, famous for its nougat production, and, then after a right turn quickly comes to Grinzane Cavour , with its castle. Once the country residence of Count Cavour, the famous statesman and Piedmontese politician (1810-1861), the castle is now a museum dedicated to the wines and other products of the Alba region. There are several rooms with memorabilia of Cavour himself and information about truffles and the most important handcraft activities of the area. From Grinzane take the road back to nearby Alba. Just before a big bend, high up on the right, is the attractive Villa Bernardina, right next to the Ceretto winery. A little further on to the left is the modern building of the Colla winery. At this point you are already back within city limits