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Piemonte and the Langhe

Tucked away in north-west Italy and bordered by the Alps and Liguria, Piemonte does not feel as Italian as other regions, the neighbouring countries of Switzerland and France having perhaps had a calming influence on its people. Nevertheless, it is still a highly alluring region.

Piemonte is best known – among wine lovers at least – for its full-bodied, velvety Barolo. This is produced in the gently rolling hills of the Langhe in the southern part of the region, where medieval castles stand guard over the vineyards.

Lush landscapes

‘Langhe’ literally means ‘strips of land’. The wild, rugged scenery of the Upper Langhe, whose oak woods shelter wild boar and nearly fifty species of wild orchid, give way to the hazelnut groves of the Middle Langhe and then to the vineyards of the Lower Langhe. The hills of the Lower Langhe are unusually shaped: with one steep slope and another much gentler slope, they are not unlike waves, and were in fact shaped by wave movement many thousands of years ago when the area was covered by the Tetide Ocean. Coated with neatly ordered vineyards, they are criss-crossed with sandy tracks that lead between medieval hill-top villages, each with its own castle and church. Visiting the region in summer, what is immediately striking about the landscape is the lushness, from the rich green of the vine leaves to the silver-green of the poplars and willows that grow on the valley floors.

The Barolo villages

There are eleven Barolo-producing villages, which are a delight in themselves to explore, the opportunities for wine-tasting simply providing an added attraction. Diano d’Alba sits on a panoramic ridge; attractive Verduno has always been popular with artists; Monforte d’Alba’s noblemen’s villas cluster around the historic castle in which the Cathar heretics sought refuge before finally being defeated and burned at the stake in Milan; Barolo is of course where the now famous wine was first made; and Serralunga boasts the most beautiful of all the castles in the Lower Langhe. The other wine villages are Castiglione Falletto, La Morra, Novello, Grinzane Cavour, Roddi and Cherasco.

The vineyards surrounding these eleven villages cover an area of over 1200 hectares, cultivated by 700 producers who together produce 6.5million bottles of Barolo each year. (Italy is the world’s largest wine-producer, accounting for almost one fifth of all production.) Barolo is made from Nebbiolo grapes (the root of this name is probably ‘nebbia’, meaning ‘fog’, which could refer either to the fact that the grape matures in late autumn, or that when ripe, it appears to be covered in a fine mist). This variety requires chalky soil, lots of sunlight, and must be protected from abrupt changes in temperature. Barolo is normally matured for three years, though for the superior quality Riserva wines, this process is increased to five years, and oak casks are used. The end result is a soft, velvety, garnet-coloured wine with orange flecks and a bouquet with a hint of violets. It makes an excellent accompaniment to the area’s superb cuisine, which incorporates the rich local produce: white truffles, hazelnuts, wild mushrooms and delicious cheeses (some of which are flavoured with truffles).

We offer a grade 1-2 walk through the Piemonte vineyards which combines leisurely walking with wine-tasting and excellent cuisine.

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