The fine wines of the Langhe > Barolo wine

Barolo wine, which is said “the king of wines and the wine of the kings”, thank to its royal attitudes, is a red Piedmontese wine and one of the best Italian wines. In the Middle Age and in the following centuries Barolo wine kept conquering its fame of being a royal wine. Traditionally, sovereigns (and many aristocrats) had their tables enriched with classic Bordeaux and Burgundian bottles. It is said that Barolo wine was often present on Luigi XIV’s table, and that great estimators of this wine were also King Carlo Alberto, Marquises of Saluzzo and Monferrato, Maria Cristina of Savoy. However, other illustrious characters contributed to spread the fame of this wine, above all Count Camillo Benso of Cavour: in fact, he used to have meals with plenty of wine; he personally devoted himself to the production of Barolo (in his farm in Grinzane) and obtained optimum results. In short he became an expert wine-maker and the Barolo wine from his vineyards could compete with the best French wines. Many Popes were enchanted by this wine: Pio VII, in the beginning of 1800, after tasting an optimum Barolo wine, said: “Ah! La Morra! Beautiful sky and good wine”. Later, he wanted to have this wine always with him. Given its absolute excellence, also poets and writers praised this wine. The area of production consists of the municipalities of Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d’Alba, and partly Monforte d’Alba, Novello, La Morra, Verduno, Grinzane Cavour, Diano d’Alba, Cherasco, and Roddi. Hilly attitude vineyards, whose round is mainly clayey-calcareous, are suitable; there are 1.163 Barolo wine producers, and 1.178,69 hectares of vineyards; the maximum producible quantity is 66.000 hl, the average 50.329 hl. Suitable vines for this production are Nebbiolo sub-varieties Michet, Lampia, and Rosé. Compulsory ageing: 3 years, and at least two of them in durmast or chest casks; the colour of this wine is grenade red, with orange reflections; its characteristic smell is intense, pleasant, ethereal; its taste is dry, full, robust, austere, but velvety. If the wine is aged for at least 5 years, it can be qualified as “Reserve”; its ideal matchings are game or meat dishes, it is suitable for braised beef, civet hare, truffle dishes; if it is young, it is advisable to drink it with cold or warm Piedmontese appetizers. It is also a meditation wine.