Blog: Barolo | Classic (3)

If you drive from Alba through part of the gentle valley of the Rio Tallora dell'Annunziata, after 13 kilometers you reach Barolo, a small town of about 800 inhabitants, located 300 meters above sea level. Around Barolo stretch the most beautiful, renowned and cultivated vineyards in Italy. This is where the wine known as the 'King of Wines' and 'Wine of Kings' is produced. Just a few kilometers away is home to another royal delicacy: the white truffle.

For those who love to eat and drink well, the Langhe, this God-blessed landscape, is a paradise without equal. But there can be no doubt that the first place belongs to the local first-class wines: Barbaresco and Barolo, both made from the Nebbiolo grape variety.

The village of Barolo in itself is not particularly charming: apart from a splendid position, a gentle panorama, some beautiful houses, the parish church of S. Donato restored in the 16th century and a private house with beautiful 15th century frescoes, it does not have much to offer.

Its merit is to have given its name to a highly famous wine, which in turn made the town world famous. According to the historian Dalla Chiesa (1568-1621), the name comes from San Barolo, a martyr of the Tebana legion; others think it comes from the Celtic 'Brolio' or 'Bröl' (forest or orchard). The area was already inhabited in prehistoric times. The two castles of Barolo and La Volta are said to have been built in the 9th and 10th centuries as a protection against the Saracen raids that had reached the area from Provence.

Alba, which is only 13 kilometers away, on the other hand, has numerous Roman and medieval testimonies. Even a Roman emperor, Publio Parinace, who was proclaimed head of state of Rome in 192, was a native of Alba. The Roman supremacy over this area was consolidated only during the reign of Emperor Augustus. Before that, the Romans had only passed through here, such as Caesar on his way back from Gaul. Although it is not proven whether the great general was also a wine lover, there is no doubt that he was extremely favorably impressed by the wines of this region, because in his comments he noted: '...et optima ad nostrae Roma et Metropolim vina perduximus' (and we brought back to our city of Rome excellent wines). - Gerardo [TS03/23]