Visiting Langhe; Where to Stay Guide on Hotels, Bed & Breakfast, Relais Chateaux, and more

by Amanda

Here is a quick list of my favorite places to stay in Langhe from easy Bed & Breakfasts, to high end castles and Relais Chateaux.

Village : Corneliano d’Alba

Parco Reala

Close enough to the town of Alba and in a strategic central location to all the fun in Langhe, while it is nestled in the peaceful fields of the Roero winemaking region. This family has 2 properties, a beautiful villa for rent for groups of 6 in the hills of the Monferrato area close to the bustling town of Castagnole delle Lanze, Canelli, and Neive. While Parco Reala is located strategically in the area of Roero, a stone’s throw to the epicenter of the white truffles, Alba. In this villa they have 4 very spacious rooms with a small living area as well as a kitchenette. There is a spa on location, a full sized swimming pool and plenty of outdoor space to relax amongst nature. You probably wish you booked a longer stay once you arrive to this oasis.

https://www.parcoreala.com/home/

Village : Alba

Villa La Favorita

This absolutely beautiful 19th century country house located right outside of the town center. Is a perfect oasis of country living and relaxation centrally located in the center of two world class wine regions. Besides the house being stunning the hosts who run the property are some of the sweetest most accomodating people I know. A plus about this property is they also have e-bikes for their guests use.

https://villalafavorita-alba.it/

Village : La Morra

Corte Gondina Boutique Hotel

Built in the beginning of the 1900’s located in the heart of the small hill top town La Morra in the Barolo wine area. You will be greeted with all the comforts of home in this quaint hotel. 

Walking distance to many bars and restaurants, this hotel is in an ideal location. 

https://www.cortegondina.it/en/

Village : Canelli

Relais Chateaux Villa del Borgo

This Relais was once an ancient monastery that was built in the historical part of the city Canelli in the XVIII century. This small hotel is perfectly located with stunning hill top views as well as all the luxuries that a Relais Chateaux has to offer.  Patrizia is an amazing host with a great eye for details and splendid hospitality. 

https://relaisvilladelborgo.com/en/

Village : Coazzolo

Agriturismo ed Mo

If you want to be submerged by the countryside then this is your place. Surrounded by vineyards amongst the rolling hills of the Langhe you find this quaint country house with only 3 rooms to rent. The owners are some of the sweetest hard working farmers that I know and love to visit here every chance I get.

https://agriturismoedmo.it/

Al Palazzo Rosso

Village : Neive

Al Palazzo Rosso

A small and well done renovation of an old historical house located in the center of Neive village. It is here the small hotel of 4 rooms all tastefully designed with all the comforts of home. You will be welcomed by the fabulous Benedetta who is kind and gentle, and has an eye for modern style. Take a look in her little shop for some funky pieces. They also have a small quaint wine bar “La Cantinetta” to enjoy a glass of some of the smaller local wine producers.

https://al-palazzo-rosso.it 

Village : Treiso

Agriturismo Dai Grésy

This small luxury hotel is immersed in the vine covered hills of the Barbaresco wine area. Here you will find the simple luxuries of the countryside, in a beautifully restored country house. 

https://www.daigresy.com

Village : Castagnole delle Lanze

Dimora Cortese

Located in the sleepy center of Castagnole delle Lanze, this 19th century mansion has been beautifully restored. 

https://www.dimoracortese.it/en

Village : Costigliole d’Asti

Villa Pattono

This gorgeous villa located in the center of vine covered rolling hills, for a peacefully and relaxing stay. Equipped with a helicopter pad, for easy and fast transportation. 

https://www.villapattono.com 

The Ultimate Barolo Masterclass - Wine tasting guide to Alba, Barolo

by Amanda

Intro:

Given the intense nature of the intricate details of Barolo, I have decided to give readers the option of the amount of depth they wish to seek out.

Where there is more information on this post, you will find at the end of the initial explanations to help every reader get the most out of the Barolo area for every level of interest.

The big B. Barolo

Barolo a small wine region just to the west of the town of Alba. This area is made up of 11 villages and takes its name after the Barolo village, located in the heart of the Barolo appellation. While the soil structure of Barolo area is quite complex they can be broken down into 5 distinct types of soils that are associated with their villages and sub-zones.

The 5 main districts: 

• Serralunga 

• Castiglione Falletto and Grinzane Cavour

• Barolo and Novello

• La Morra and Verduno

• Monforte 

the soil structures of Barolo defined by color.

Origins of soil from rocks: 3 types of rocks are the base of each soil structure making each wine region so unique. 

Here is a breakdown of rocks with examples. 

igneous rocks 

cooled magma (examples granite)
e.g. granite, basalt, dolerite, gabbro, syenite, porphyry

sedimentary rocks - what we find in Barolo, Barbaresco, Langhe

layers of consolidated and cemented sediments, mostly formed in bodies of water (examples limestone, sandstone, conglomerate)

e.g. limestone, sandstone, mudstone, shale, conglomerate

metamorphic rocks 

formed by the alteration of existing rocks due to heat from igneous intrusions (examples marble, quartzite) or pressure due to the crustal movement (examples slate, schist).

In the Langhe and specifically in Barolo the soil falls under the Sedimentary rocks, within this category of rocks you will find 3 prehistoric Miocene epoch of soils Serravalliano | Tortonian | Messiniano (and combinations)

Serravalliano - Formazione di Lequio

Tortonian -

1. Arenarie di Diano

2. Marne di S. Agata Fossili Sabbiose

      3. Marne di S. Agata Fossili tipiche

        4. Marne di S. Agata Fossile laminate

Messiniano - 1. Conlomerati di La Morra

          2. Formazione di Cassano Spinola sabbiosa

          3. Formazione di Cassano Spinola marnose

        4. Formazione della Vena del gesso 

Zancleano - Marne Plioceniche    

What does all this mean?? To go into depth a bit about the soils and what they do here we go. 

The Langhe wine region which encompasses both Barbaresco and Barolo are composed of sedimentary rock. This formation was thanks to the Padano sea which engulfed a large part of the Lower Piedmont region. The sediments eroded from the surrounding areas that were gradually accumulating on the seabed, which in turn buried the older strata. It wasn’t until 12 million years ago did this sea start to reseed and from its movement out left the Langhe with complex soil of the Lequio Formation, Diano Sandstones, and Saint Agata Fossile Marls. 

The Lequio Formation: This soilsstructure can be found in the Southern part of Serralunga d’Alba and a part of Monforte d’Alba on the eastern ridge. This formation is the oldest section, marked by light-colored marl, with layers or veins of well-cemented sand. 

Diano Sandstone: This soil structure can be found in the highest part of Monforte d’Alba as well as in some areas of La Morra. This soil structure is well noted for its high resistance to erosion because of the well cemented sands. 

Sant’Agata Fossil Marl: This complex soil structure changes quite quickly and is the major soil structure throughout all of the Barolo area. These soils comprise mainly fine, silt, and clay sediments making the Barolo area perfect for grape cultivation. There is however some variability to be found, with areas rich in thin veins of sand and others with mainly silt layers.

Barolo Classifications

The best way to think about Barolo now is kind of like the structure of Burgundy. Here in Barolo, we have 4 ways to classify your Barolo.

To become Barolo you need to follow these easy steps:

The vineyards must be located in the boundary of the Barolo wine-producing area. Nebbiolo is the only permitted varietal allowed to be used in Barolo wine and these vines must not be planted on a Northern facing slope. East, West, and South are accepted. The Nebbiolo vines must not exceed 6,000 vines per hectare and the most amount harvested per hectare cannot exceed 56 hL/ha. The minimum aging requirement for Barolo in wood is 18 months, and the wine cannot be released until the 4th January after the harvest. So around 38 months the wine must stay in the cellar before release. 

After the 4th January, you must submit your wine for controls, those will consist of analysis to make sure the acidity, Ph, alcohol, and other chemical components are all right. From there, the wine will then also need to pass a sensory analysis, where other producers will get together to test the wine to make sure it is a good example of the region’s best. 

From there you then have the classifications system. 

1. Barolo “Classico” - the word “classico” is not a legal term to be used on the label but is used amongst producers and wine enthusiasts to mention a generalization of the Barolo wine. This wine is coming from any of the designated Barolo vineyards and can be a mix of them. 

2. Barolo “Comune” - the village wine. This wine will be coming from the vineyards only located in the specific town which is mentioned on the label. For example Barolo Comune di Serralunga d’Alba, these grapes can only be coming from the town of Serralunga d’Alba. 

3. Barolo “Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva” - Barolo with a geographical mention. This wine is coming from one small piece of land. For example Barolo Cannubi or Barolo Bussia. From these two names, you know that Barolo is coming from that plot of land. 

4. Barolo “Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva, Vigna” - Barolo with a geographical mention but a specific plot is being mentioned. Many producers have a special plot in a vineyard that they over the years of cultivation have noticed that there is something special about this area. With that said they decided to vinify and age separately from the rest of that vineyard. When the producer does this you will see a mention of Vigna. For example Barolo Sarmassa Vigna Merenda or Barolo Ginestra Vigna Sorì Ginestra.  With this mention of Vigna, the producer must reduce the yield by another 10% in that vineyard to increase even more the quality of the wine. 

We should even take the time to talk about Riserva wines. With a Barolo Riserva, all the laws are the same as the Barolo except that you cannot release the wine until the 6th January after the harvest. So it must stay 62 months in the cellar before release.  MORE BAROLO WINEMAKING

Cru or Specific Vineyard Sights called Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva (MGA)

I could go on all day about this chapter as there are 170 single vineyards that make up Barolo. With that I have decided to use the Renato Ratti cru map, I feel as though he took the time to really think about what could be the best possible vineyards for Barolo. He was quite correct in many ways, as many of these vineyards we are going to highlight here are some of the most talked about vineyards in Barolo. They are: Monprivato, Villero, Rocche di Castiglione, Gabutti - Parafada, Lazzarito, Marenca-Rivette, Cannubi, Cerequio, Brunate, and Rocche di Annunziata for the 1st crus. MORE CRUS HERE

Monprivato - Tortoniano Marne di S. Agata Fossili sabbiose

Villero - Tortoniano Marne di S. Agata Fossili sabbiose & Tortoniano Marne di S. Agata Fossili tipiche 

Rocche di Castiglione - Tortoniano Marne di S. Agata Fossili sabbiose & Tortoniano Arenarie di Diano

Gabbutti-Parafada - Serravalliano Formazione di Lequio

Lazzarito - Serravalliano Formazione di Lequio

Marenca-Rivette - Serravalliano Formazione di Lequio

Cannubi - Tortoniano Marne di S. Agata Fossili sabbiose & Tortoniano Marne di S. Agata Fossili tipiche & Tortoniano Arenarie di Diano

Cerequio - Tortoniano Marne di S. Agata Fossili tipiche & Tortoniano Marne di S. Agata Fossili laminate

Brunate - Tortoniano Marne di S. Agata Fossili tipiche & Tortoniano Marne di S. Agata Fossili laminate

Rocche di Annunziata - Tortoniano Marne di S. Agata Fossili laminate & Tortoniano Marne di S. Agata Fossili sabbiose & Tortoniano Marne di S. Agata Fossili tipiche

Bartolo Mascarello - The last of the Mohicans

Maria Teresa the steward of noble tradition, the one who bares the torch of the family crest and one who believes in continuing to make a wine the same way her father Bartolo made, the same way her grandfather Giulio made. 

Following in her families foot steps Maria Teresa makes her Barolo coming from the same prized vineyards as did her father and grandfather; Cannubi, San Lorenzo, Ruè, and Rocche. Where once these vineyards were mentioned on their famous Barolo label, since the new laws placed in 2010 the vineyard names could no longer be mentioned anywhere on the label nor on any other information space. Luckily I can put them here for you. 

Maintaining her families traditions, Bartolo Mascarello winery works with only red varietals coming from the Langhe area. The grapes in which they work with are Dolcetto, Barbera, Freisa, and Nebbiolo. The Freisa grape is something special to the area as some might argue that it is origin is taken from Asti/Monferrato or Chieri, but it is gaining popularity also in the Langhe. 

With all of this talk about how Maria Teresa is keeping her father’s tradition, it is also to be said that she herself has her own mark in the wines she produces today. Yes she is continuing on with the families traditions and the same skills that were passed down to her, but like every winery when it is time to change hands you clearly see a woman’s touch in her wines. What was once big brooding Barolo of her fathers’ has now an elegance and curvature to it. 

Giuseppe Rinaldi - The heart of Barolo

I’m sure if you hear the name Rinaldi you think of Beppe “Citrico” the man who stuck to his guns and kept up with making a traditntal wine, like his father, like his grandfather. But, of course with a little bit of a “Beppe” twist. Typically Barolo was always a blend of vineyards, it was never, up until the 1960’s a single vineyard expression. The wine was as the famers would always hold many different plots of land and sometimes not in their commune but the surrounding ones, a blend of those vineyards. This would bring to the wine its complexity, as the soil structures are so diverse you could have a wine both with complexity and elegance. Beppe had his own way to show these traits, he decided keeping with tradition to blend vineyards but to choose which ones would be blended together, thus making two Barolo wines. One Brunate - Le Coste (Brunate) and the other Cannubi San Lorenzo - Ravera (Tre Tine). The names in parentheses are the new names given to these wines when they passed a law in 2010 stating that only one vineyard name could be placed on the label, and inside that wine must be 85% coming from that named vineyard. 

Just as his name “Citrico” means acidic, Beppe was one with quite a strong straight forward personality, kind of like his wines. Beppe states his philosophy this way: “I don’t want a wine that pleases easily ... when someone says I like it or I don’t like it and that’s it”, he told The Art of Eating’s Edward Behr in 2000. Beppe wants Barolo that is “austere, severe, that demands research. It takes time. You have to study, to think, to understand, like all of art. It isn’t simple but complex; it doesn’t please right away. It’s the opposite of a mass-produced product. It has angles, not curves. It’s not easy. A good Barolo ... is adapted to long aging.” 

Having had the pleasure to enjoy some dinners amongst the company of Beppe as well as other colleagues/friends, I can attest to his above quote. When it was time for him to open his wines at the dinner table, I can recall, it was a 1998 magnum of Barolo Brunate, the label was not their typical label you will find on the wine shop shelves, but a manilla paper hand written label, with a piece of string tied around the bottles neck. This bottle was coming from his private stash to share with us that evening. While I was filled with the “someone pinch me” sitting at a table with one of Barolo’s most sought after producers having a rare opportunity to enjoy a glass of their wines, I recall even today (years later) the intense aromas of dried rose, tea leaf, and tar and could have happily sat there all night pondering over this glass of wine. 

Today the winery is run by Beppe’s two daughters; Marta and Carlotta, who are continuing in the footsteps of their farther. Marta oversees most of the winemaking part while her sister Carlotta looks after the vineyards. 

Azelia. Need I say more?

Everyone loves Lorenzo!

As he is smart, well spoken, fashionable, and handsome. Everything you want in a winemaker, right?  Lorenzo is the youngest generation of the Scavino family, working alongside his father Luigi and his mother Lorella he is learning to one day take over the family winery.

The founder of Azelia was in 1920 to Lorenzo’s great great great grandfather Cavalier Lorenzo Scavino. Lorenzo is the 5th generation and is the first son to take the name of his grandfather (lots of responsibility). Luigi (the big boss) as Lorenzo calls his father, really saw an opportunity to utilize some of the modern techniques both in the vineyard and in the winery. Thus allowing Luigi with his keen eye for quality and light touch of elegance allows Azelia to produce some of Castagnole Falletto’s most exciting wines. While they are neither traditional nor modern, a bit of both I would say. They work in a way that shows the strength and elegance of the Barolo area. 

The family’s understanding of the importance of the quality of work done in the vineyards to bring in an exceptional grape has been very much engrained even into the 5th generation. If you follow Lorenzo on Instagram you will see that he spends most of his time amongst the vines. A peaceful work he seems to enjoy very much. 

The family works only with red grape varieties, and has a great lineup of the Langhe’s most important varietals; Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo and of course Barolo.