Barolo has often been described as the king of wines: a noble, generous wine, it is renowned in Italy and abroad for its austerity, and its rich flavours and aromas. Produced Southwest of Alba – in a district often called the Barolo Langa – it is a wine with unique characteristics that are the result of the area's complex geological profile. Barolo is the most prestigious designation in Italy today, and the two castles where it was born, those of the Marchesi di Barolo and of the Conte di Cavour, now house important wine cellars.

Barolo is a wine with an important history. As early as the Eighteenth century it already had admirers all over Europe, and production with the characteristics it has today began early in the Nineteenth century. It was Giulia Colbert Falletti, marchesa di Barolo, who made an important contribution to the production of Nebbiolo (the grape from which Barolo is made) as a dry wine, following the indications of Count Oudart. And Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour was responsible for inviting this well-known French wine expert to the area to "create" an important dry red wine, "similar to a Bordeaux". The result was an immediate success with the Savoy Royal Family and at courts across Europe.

Thanks to its organoleptic features and its body, Barolo immediately proved suitable for ageing and exporting. Its success throughout Europe caused the area where it is produced to be demarcated in 1908, and in 1934 the "Consorzio di Tutela" was created to defend both Barolo and Barbaresco. It was granted its DOC classification in 1966 and that of DOCG in 1980. The writer Cesare Pavese used to say: "You need three noses for Barolo."

The area where Barolo is produced – which includes all or part of the towns of Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d'Alba, Monforte d'Alba, Novello, La Morra, Verduno, Grinzane Cavour, Diano d'Alba, Cherasco and Roddi – was formed in geological terms by marine sediment deposited during the Miocene epoch (8-12 million years ago).

To guarantee the quality, the grape harvest must not exceed 8 tonnes per hectare. In 2000 a total of 720 wine-making concerns produced the wine, with a total of 1,300 hectares planted with the vines

The grape is produced by the Nebbiolo vine – with three cultivars, Lampia, Michet and Rosè – and it ripens quite late, towards the end of October. The bunches are of an intense blue colour, tending to grey due to the large amount of wax that covers the grapes; they are elongated and pyramid shaped, while the grapes are small and round with a consistent skin.

The strong vine tends to grow fast and particular pruning methods are needed. The leaves are of medium size, with three or five lobes. Output is good although not constant, depending on the vintage and the cultivar. The winemaking process requires suitable fermentation and when transformation is complete, legislation establishes that the wine must be aged for at least three years, two of which in oak or chestnut barrels.

Barolo is best drunk with dishes such as roasts of red meat, braised meat, game, truffles, hard cheese and ripe cheese. The best known and most traditional recipes are “Brasato (braised meat) al Barolo”, “Risotto al Barolo”, “Manzo (beef) al Barolo”, ”Anguilla (eel) Piemontese al Barolo” and “Stracotto (stew) al Barolo”.

These dishes can be enjoyed at the many restaurants specialising in Piedmontese cuisine, but also at numerous festivals, exhibitions, auctions and fairs dedicated to this wonderful wine. To name just one, the "Festa del Barolo" held in the town of Barolo itself in the month of September.

The characteristics of Barolo

• Colour: red garnet with orange reflections
• Perfume: intense and complex, with clear overtones of violet, tar and vanilla
• Taste: broad, warm and caressing, persistent with great body
• Alcoholic strength: 13° Serving temperature: 18-20°

(Courtesy of www.regione.piemonte.it)