The village of Barolo in Northwest Italy is just one of 11 villages that make up one of the best wine regions in the world, where the world-famous Italian Barolo wine is made…

Italian Barolo is one of the most famous, collected and celebrated wines in the world and out of all the Italy wine regions, the hills and wines of the Piedmont - or Piemonte - region, are the most famous. The Barolo wine region is located in the Langhe Piemonte and consists of 11 small wine villages which represent the only place in the world where Barolo wine can be made. 

One of those 11 Barolo villages is called Barolo and is a must to visit if you’re a wine enthusiast and a fan of Italian red wine, but the other 10 are also worth exploring! Read on to discover all about world-famous Italian Barolo wine, the beautiful region of Barolo Langhe and the amazing Barolo villages!

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About Piemonte

Wine is produced around most of the Piedmont region in the northwest of Italy and it’s known for its famous Barolo and Barbaresco red wines - these are the most famous top DOCG wine regions in Piemonte, but there are other DOCG and DOC regions producing excellent wines - see later.

Piedmont is also known for its spectacular scenery, beautiful villages and Italian wine and food, especially dishes created around its famous food product, truffles. There are 3 famous hill districts in Piedmont that were all listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2014 - Langhe, Roero and Monferrato.

Barolo Langhe

The Langhe hills are located in the south west of Piemonte around the famous wine town of Alba , forming waved hill crests, all pointing in the same direction, from southeast to northwest. Each hill has a steep side that holds up the next, gentle slope, generating a unique sun exposure, perfect for the cultivation of the Nebbiolo grape, which produces the famous Italian Barolo wine and Barbaresco wine.  The Alps tower over the Langhe hills to the north and west. The Upper Langhe (‘Alta Langa’) hills face south, toward the Apennine mountains. Here the landscape is dominated more by meadows and hazelnut groves.

The world-famous region of Barolo is located inside the Piemonte’s Langhe - famous for its wine, truffles and hazelnuts and also its spectacular villages and castles. Since 2014, the Langhe and Barolo Hills have been recognised as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Italian Barolo wine

Italian Barolo wine is known as Italy’s ‘wine of kings and king of wines’ and it can only be made in the 11 different small villages and communes that make up the Barolo DOCG. Italian Barolo takes its name from the village of the same name located 15 km to the south of the town of Alba.

Italian Barolo is made from the Nebbiolo grape and it is the most powerful expression of this grape variety.

Why is Italian Barolo so expensive?

Barolo wines are expensive because there is 4 years hard work behind a Barolo wine (compared to 3 years for neighbouring Barbaresco wines). A Barolo wine requires 3 years of ageing and 18 months of this must be in oak barrels. Only after 5 years can a Barolo be considered a ‘Riserva’.

Approximately 15m bottles of Barolo are produced each year across the region.

All fine Barolo wines share some common features, notably a light red colour (Nebbiolo, like Pinot Noir, never produces dark, opaque wines); full flavours and aromas of cherries and plums; a dense texture  and substantial tannins. Alcohol levels are typically 13-14%.

However, despite these common features, there are different Barolo wine styles and one Barolo will be quite different to the next, depending on several different factors:

• Firstly the age of the wine - more aged Italian Barolo wines will have a more pronounced garnet or brick-red colour and the aromas will tend more towards dried cherries, rose petals, tar and liquorice.

• The style of the wine will also depend on how it has been aged - whether it has been aged in small French oak barriques, which is a more modern approach to making Italian Barolo, or the more traditional large oak casks. This is a topic which caused much division in Barolo in the latter half of the 20th century between the so-called ‘traditionalists’ and ‘modernists’ and is depicted in the story (and movie) about the famous ‘Barolo Boys’, who helped to put Barolo on the world wine map in the 1980s and ‘90s. It is now recognised that there is a place for both approaches in Barolo winemaking.)

• Then there is the matter of where the grapes come from in the Barolo region as the different soils play a huge part in determining the wine style. There are two major soil types in the Barolo region - in the west, the soil is a mix of sand, clay and limestone, which produces softer, fruitier, aromatic wines which age relatively rapidly for a Barolo, whereas in the east, the soil contains a higher proportion of compressed sandstone, is less compact, poorer, and less fertile and produces more intense, robust, structured wines that age more slowly.

So the message is - no Barolo wine is the same and you need to try out wines from all of the Barolo villages to figure out which your favourites are!!

The 11 different Barolo villages

Italian Barolo wine may take its name from the Barolo village of the same name and the core of Barolo has always been the villages of Barolo and La Morra in the west of the region, but Barolo wine is produced right across the region.

As explained earlier the Barolo wines from Barolo and La Morra in the west of the region tend to be a little lighter, fresher and more elegant than those from the other core Barolo villages of Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d’Alba, and Monforte d’Alba to the east and north. The majority of Barolo is produced across these communes, but some is also produced in the other 6 communes, which include Grinzano, Verduno, Novello, Diano d’Alba, Roddi, and Cherasco.

Read about all 11 Barolo villages below:

1. Barolo Village

The small village of Barolo, in the west of the region, inhabited by just a few hundred people today, played a central role in the history of the world-famous Italian Barolo wine. The history of Barolo wine is firmly linked with the renowned, noble Piedmont Falletti family, which around the middle of the thirteenth century became the owner of the castle and lands around the village. In the mid-nineteenth century Marchioness Giulia Falletti constructed the underground cellars, introduced new winemaking techniques and set out to establish a ‘king of wines and wine of kings’ - and the rest is history s they say!

The main feature of Barolo village today is the splendid Barolo Castle, which also, since 2010, houses a superb Wine Museum (WiMu), which is really worth visiting. After our visit to the castle we enjoyed a lovely walk around the small village and the surrounding vineyards.

Just before the entrance up to the castle you can visit and spend a most enjoyable time in the Enoteca Regionale del Barolo, which was established in 1982 and where you can taste more than 30 labels from the Barolo region.

Recommended restaurant in Barolo - La Cantinella

Just north of the village, heading towards La Morra in the vineyards, is a lovely tinychapel called the Barolo Chapel. This is a well-known local landmark due to its size and its bright colour. It was actually never consecrated as a place of worship but attracts lots of visitors as it’s very ‘Instagrammable’!

Wine tasting in Barolo

Understandably there are many options for wine tasting in Barolo if you wish to visit a winery or two. See here for information. Being in the west of the Barolo region the wines from both here and La Morra (see below) tend to be more elegant and fruity.

2. La Morra

We loved visiting the village of La Morra and actually preferred it to the more busy Barolo.

The views from the Piazza Castello in the centre of the town are absolutely stunning, all over the Langhe region and the Alps in the near distance. Just off the Piazza Castello is a beautiful bell tower, the Torre Civica, erected in 1710 on the remains of the ancient castle and walking down the Via Carlo Alberto, you arrive at two lovely churches, the parish church of San Martino, built at the end of the 17th century and the San Rocco church.

There are lots of options for enjoying a glass of wine or a bite to eat in one of the several excellent cafés and restaurants in La Morra. We can highly recommend the wine bar/restaurant ‘Osteria More e Macina’, where we enjoyed a lovely traditional Langhe meal and excellent wines. Just outside the village, in the heart of the La Morra vineyards, ‘Osteria del Vignaiolo’ also comes highly recommended.

For more information about visiting La Morra see here.

Wine tasting in La Morra

We took the opportunity to visit two recommended wineries around La Morra village:

Azienda Bourgogne Francesco:

Bourgogne Francesco is a family owned, 3rd generation winery located on the border of La Morra and Barolo, in what is known as one of the best sites in the Barolo region, ‘Brunate’. The family farm 8 hectares of vines and produce about 45,000 bottles per year and they have practiced sustainable principles for 15 years, where everything is done by hand in the vineyard.

Bourgogne Francesco produces Barolo, as well as Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo and Favorita wines, following the more traditional approach to winemaking, with ageing in large Slovonian oak barrels.

We tasted all of the wines and really enjoyed them. In terms of the Barolo wines, we tasted two, one produced in sandy soils and one in more clay soils. This really demonstrated to us the difference that the soil type makes here in the Barolo region, to the final wine.

Ciabot Berton

Ciabot Berton represents 5 generations of the Oberto family, farming this beautiful land and growing vines in La Morra, overlooking the Barolo hills. Today brother and sister Marco and Paola Oberto, along with Marco’s wife, Federica, manage the 15 hectares estate, 11 of which are planted with vines and produce about 80-90,000 bottles per year. Their father Luigi built the winery and started winemaking in the 1980s.

Today Ciabot Berton is very focused on producing Barolo wines and having several different vineyards around La Morra enables them to produce different styles of wines. As stated before La Morra Barolos are more elegant than Barolos in the centre and east of the Barolo region and this is true of Ciabot Berton wines.

In addition to Barolo wines, Ciabot Berton produces Dolcetto, Langhe Nebbiolo and Barbera wines, a rosé (made from Nebbiolo) and a white wine (Faventa grape). Organic practices and a traditional approach are followed at Ciabot Berton, with both concrete and stainless steel tanks used along with Slovenian oak casks for ageing.

Ciabot Berton sells to about 20 countries outside of Italy, with the main markets being being the UK and the US.

Visitors are welcomed in the fabulous new tasting room and shop for a wine tasting and vineyard/cellar tour.

We enjoyed a fabulous tour and wine tasting with Marco and his wife Federica, tasting 3 different Barolo wines, a Barbera and a Langhe Nebbiolo - they were all superb.

3. Castiglione Falletto

There is evidence that the small medieval village of Castiglione Falletto dates back to Roman times and today it sits in the heartland of Barolo Wine production. The village is dominated by the medieval castle and its huge central tower which can be seen from miles away. The castle dates back to the Middle Ages and was acquired by the powerful Falleti family in 1200 who then owned it for many centuries (the name Falleti was added to the town’s name ‘Castiglione’ during this period in recognition of the family’s importance and power in the region).

Today you can see the ramparts of this old medieval village and walk the steep hill through the village up to the castle and enjoy amazing views over the Langhe region.

Visit the Cantina Comunale dei Produttori where you can taste the local wines and enjoy traditional Langhe dishes. The Barolo wines here are more alcoholic and robust than those from Barolo and La Morra.

We can recommend dining in the excellent Le Torri Ristorante which offers beautiful views from its magical terrace and a classic dining experience. For a more informal experience we enjoyed evenings at ‘La Terrazza’, a fabulous wine bar that offers incredible views, great hospitality, an excellent choice of wines and good, honest, traditional food!

4. Grinzane Cavour

It’s hard to miss the Barolo village of Grinzane Cavour, as its famous, spectacular late medieval castle of the same name dominates the skyline and towers over the vineyards around it.

Grinzane Cavour Castle, a Unesco World Heritage Site, dates back to the 11th century and has been owned by various noble Piedmontese families, including the Counts Benso di Cavour, whose most famous member was Camillo Benso, who lived in the castle and was mayor of the village of Grinzane and the first prime minister of a united Italy in 1861.

Today the castle houses the Langhe Museum, Cavour family heirlooms and the Enoteca Regionale Piemontese Cavour, one of the oldest wineries in Italy. Established in 1967 and the first shop of its kind in the region, it is a showcase for the best wines in Piedmont and also grappas and you can taste local products and sample wine, guided by a sommelier.

Outside the castle is In Vigna, an open-air museum dedicated to grapevine cultivation, winemaking and the wine traditions of the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato regions of Piedmont. We really enjoyed walking around the open-air museum which runs all around the castle and offers amazing views across the vineyards. The museum is informative, interesting and interactive and provides a great way to learn about Piemonte wines.

5. Monforte d’Alba

The pretty medieval village of Monforte d'Alba is one of the Langhe’s most historically interesting centres. The historic village is perched on a hill and this location along with its impressive fortifications made this a powerful centre in the Middle Ages.

You can walk up the lovely alleyways and streets up to the historic centre and the Scarampi Palace, which stands on the ruins of an ancient castle, as well as the Baroque Oratory of Sant’Agostino and San Bonifacio and its beautiful bell tower.

Also see the tiny Horszowski amphitheatre, known for its perfect acoustics, used as an auditorium and dedicated to the famous pianist of the same name. Monforte d’Alba is a popular destination for walkers too.

For fine, classic ctyle dining head to Ristorante da Felicin, which has beautiful views and also offers accommodation.

6. Serralunga d’Alba

Serralunga d’Alba is a beautiful mediaeval Barolo village, known for its impressive square castle, which towers over the village and the surrounding vineyards and is a distinctive landmark in the Barolo hills.

The soils here are a mix of sandstone and grey marl, producing wines with incredible longevity and personality.

(See our wine travel article about exploring Serralunga d’Alba and its wines!)

7. Diano d’Alba

The vineyards which surround the pretty village of Diano D'Alba, just north of Serralunga, make up the Diano D'Alba wine region - the Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba DOCG - and produce some of Piedmont’s best Dolcetto wines. Some 75 vineyards produce approximately one million bottles of Dolcetto wine per year.

Visit the wine cooperative and I Sör di Diano enoteca to sample these delicious Dolcetto wines.

8. Novello

Novello, a lovely, small village away from the Barolo tourist trail, with just over 1000 inhabitants, lies in the far southwest of the Barolo region and is known for being the home of the white native grape variety, Nascetta.

Nascetta is the only white wine grape native to the Langhe and after years of obscurity, several producers champion this semi-aromatic grape, including Le Strette, Elvio Cogno and Vietti.

Visit the Bottega del Vino in Novello to sample these wines amongst others from over 70 local wine producers.

9. Verduno

Verduno lies in the far northwest of the Barolo region and is a beautiful, tranquil village with a lovely castle and restored historical centre. Verduno is famous for its light, red wine based on a native red grape variety called Pelaverga.

10. Roddi

Just east of Verduno lies the Barolo village of Roddi, famous for Roddi Castle from where you can enjoy breathtaking views over the vineyards. Roddi is also home to the University for truffle dogs!

11. Cherasco

Finally, in the far west of the Barolo region, just west of La Morra, lies the charming, elegant town of Cherasco, known for its art and antiques. However it is most famous for its gastronomy, in particular snails and 'Baci', a pastry speciality famous throughout Italy, delicious chocolates made with dark chocolate and hazelnuts.

More about Piemonte wines

Red wine from Piemonte

Piemonte is a wine region which is all about one grape variety - ‘Nebbiolo’ - Piemonte’s late-ripening grape which produces the world-famous, tannic, long-lived and alcoholic red wines -  Italian Barolo wine and Italian Barbaresco wine. Nebbiolo is named after the fog - ‘nebbia’ - which is a common sight over the Langhe hills in the Autumn. 

Piemonte also produces great quantities of juicy ‘Barbera’ wines and soft ‘Dolcetto’ wines, which are designed to be enjoyed much younger than Barolo and Barbaresco wines and these along with Nebbiolo wines can offer some of Piemonte's best wines, at a fraction of the cost of a great Barolo or Barbaresco.

Traditionally, Piedmont was home to single, 100% varietals, but an increasing number of producers now experiment with red blends, for example Nebbiolo blended with Barbera, Merlot, Cabernet or even Syrah.

White wine from Piemonte

Piemonte is also home to a variety of local white grape specialities, including Cortese - the grape of ‘Gavi’ - and Muscat, the grape of the famous Italian sparkling wine, ‘Asti Spumante’ and ‘Moscato d’Asti’, extremely light, low alcohol and refreshing, ‘frizzante’ wines. The perfumed Arneis grape is also fashionable as ‘Roero Arneis’ while Favorita (the local form of Rolle or Vermentino) is also grown in Roero just north of Barolo and Barbaresco country and the native grape Nascetta is from Novello.

Many of the Piemonte wines are labelled by grape varietals, for example Nebbiolo d’Alba, Barbera d'Asti and Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba. 

Top DOCG Piemonte wines

In addition to the Barolo and Barbaresco top DOCGs, other significant ones include Asti and Moscato d’Asti DOCG, Barbera d’Asti DOCG, Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba DOCG, Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG, Dogliani DOCG, Nizza DOCG, Roero DOCG and Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG. Langhe is an important DOC as is the Piemonte DOC.

Exploring Piemonte and Barolo Langhe

The best time to visit Piedmont Italy

From early Summer through to November in the Autumn is the best time to visit Piedmont and the Langhe region. The region has a temperate climate, with warm summers (Jun–Sep) and cool winters (Dec–Feb), but July to November is also peak white truffle harvest season. The absolute best time to visit however is when the  long-running International white Alba truffle Fair (Fiera Internazionale del Tartufo Bianco d’Alba) is on - from the start of October to the end of November. The international fair is a truffle show with cooking demonstrations and displays, plus artistic and cultural events.

Where to stay in Piedmont Italy

When visiting the Langhe region of Piedmont we would suggest you choose one of the lovely villages - but another option is to stay in Alba, which offers an excellent base for exploring both the Barolo and Barbaresco wine regions.

Getting to Piedmont Langhe

We recommend travelling to Alba, or wherever you choose to be based in the Langhe region, from Turin.

You can hire a car and it takes just 1 hour and 15 minutes to get to Alba or you can travel from Turin airport by train direct to Alba. We would always recommend hiring a car as that gives you the flexibility to explore the beautiful villages in Piedmont.

Combine with a visit to Turin

We flew into Turin - or Torino - airport and decided to combine our visit to the Langhe region of Piedmont with a couple of nights exploring this magical stay city.

Out and about in the Langhe

Visit “Strada del Barolo e dei grandi vini di Langa” (Barolo wine route) to help you plan your visit to the beautiful Barolo Langhe region. This website gives lots of information about wineries to visit, places to explore, where to stay, where to eat and much more, covering the municipalities of Alba, Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Cherasco, Diano d’Alba, Dogliani, Grinzane Cavour, La Morra, Monchiero, Monforte d’Alba, Montelupo Albese, Novello, Roddi, Roddino, Rodello, Serralunga d’Alba, Sinio and Verduno.

See here for lots of ideas and inspiration about what to do in the Langhe, as well as Roero and Montferrato.

If you enjoy cycling, then visit ‘Rentyourbike.it’ to learn how to discover the Langhe and Barolo by bike!

For more about the Langhe and Barolo, see here. 

Conclusion and personal highlights

What an amazing experience, exploring the beautiful Barolo villages, sampling the different wines, learning about the unique history of each village and always enjoying the views! It’s impossible to pick out a highlight - it was all a highlight!!

Interested in a wine tour exploring the Barolo Villages in Piemonte?

Let us help you plan your trip in the beautiful Barolo hills! Start here by sharing some information about you and your perfect wine tour with us!

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