Blog: Barolo | Classic (5)

The reputation of Barolo as a royal wine remained even after Caesar's esteem and continued with Henry II of France, who received it as a gift from Emanuel Filiberto of Savoy and was 'highly satisfied by this excellent wine'.

On June 22, 1537, Charles V entered this region at the head of 5000 men and 6000 horsemen. He was received with great honors, which culminated in a feast that must have lasted at least 24 hours, judging by the number of courses served. We will not list them all here, but it is worth mentioning that the dishes were accompanied by local wines such as Bianco and Nebbiolo d'Alba, and especially Barolo.

We refrain from enumerating all the popes who wanted this wine on their table, and pass on to personalities of recent history, such as Carlo Alberto, called the 'hesitator' because of his chronic indecisiveness, but who always showed an enviable determination towards the Brolo. The King had expressed to the Market Countess of Barolo the desire to taste the prestigious wine pressed in her estates. The noblewoman then had three hundred barrels filled with the wine, each holding six hectoliters. These were loaded onto three hundred oxcarts and hurried to Turin. When the train arrived in the capital, it blocked the entire Via Nice, causing traffic chaos in Piazza Castello and in front of the Royal Palace. The king and his entourage were so enthusiastic about the wine that they decided to produce Barolo themselves. So the royal family acquired the Castle of Verduno, which included extensive lands and wine cellars.

The Count of Cavour, the only wise head of the Italian Risorgimento, was the first to modernize and rationalize Barolo production. He had just left his job as advisor to King Albert, had been dismissed from the army because of his liberal views, and his father, who did not know what to do with this son who was causing constant political incidents, finally put him in charge of the family estate in Grinzane. - Gerardo [TS03/23]