Discover the Top 11 facts about Barolo Wine and explore the world of this Italian favorite, from its grape variety to its aging process.
In preparation for one of our wine tours in Piedmont, such as the 4-hour Barolo Wine Tour or the 8-hour Barolo & Barbaresco Wine Tour with the Winemaker, we suggest learning the basics with the following top 11 facts about Barolo wine.
Gain a new appreciation for this full-bodied red wine and get ready to visit the vineyard-clad Langhe Hills, where Barolo wine is produced, in the heart of a breathtaking Unesco World Heritage Site.
What Is Barolo Wine?
Barolo is a world-famous Italian wine known for its deep, intense flavor and its lengthy aging process.
This high-end red has been prized by wine critics around the globe since it was first developed in the 1800s.
The minimum alcohol content is 13% (but most vintages exceed such percentage) and the Barolo wine must be aged at least 38 months in oak before reaching the market. A minimum of five years of aging is required for the Riserva.
What Is The Difference Between Nebbiolo and Barolo?
Barolo wine is obtained by harvesting, pressing, fermenting, and aging 100% of Nebbiolo grapes. No other grape varietal can be blended to make Barolo wine.
So, Nebbiolo is the grape’s name, indigenous to Piedmont and cultivated mainly in northern Italy, while Barolo is the name of one of the wines made with such a grape.
What Is Special About Barolo Wine?
Barolo wine stands out for its garnet color with a light red hue and orange reflections.
It has layers upon layers of aromas and flavors that span from a floral nose of rose petals to red berries, tar, coffee, chocolate, and earth. Its harmonious taste recalls raspberry jam, cinnamon, licorice, and leather.
Tannins, which are typical of Nebbiolo, can evolve and become smooth with the aging while the perception of the oak, in which the wine is aged, depends on the type of barrel used. For a more complete understanding of the type of oak barrel used within the Barolo wine region, read here.
Where Is The Barolo Wine Region?
The Barolo wine region is located in northwest Italy, in the southern Piedmont region, and more precisely in the province of Cuneo.
A short 20-minute drive takes visitors from the town of Alba, to the village of Barolo, surrounded by the iconic vineyard-clad landscape of the Langhe Hills. Such a district of long and parallel hillcrests is one of the unique elements that generate a unique microclimate and a positive impact on the cultivation of Nebbiolo grapes.
How Do I Get to Barolo, Italy?
One of the most frequently asked questions is how to get to Barolo. In fact, Barolo itself is not served too well by public transportation and once visitors get off the train station in Alba, a car is recommended to visit the Barolo wine region.
From Milan, it takes about two hours by car, and from Turin at least one hour, depending on traffic.
By train, one of the fastest ways is to catch a high-speed train from Milan to Turin Porta Susa station, then connect to a regional train to Alba. This is the same local train line that serves Alba directly to Turin’s airport (TRN).
There are other regional connections from Milan to Asti but those are services mainly for commuters, set very early in the morning or late in the day, and usually are not offered on weekends. In any case, from Asti, the drive to the Barolo wine region is about 40 minutes or so.
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Where In Italy Is Barolo Grown?
Barolo is the name of a village and a wine, therefore it is not accurate to say where in Italy Barolo is grown. On the contrary, the Nebbiolo grapes are the ones to be grown.
Such a growing area is defined by the PDO appellation, in Italian Denominazione Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG), as well as many other rules and requirements that producers must follow to be allowed to sell their wine as Barolo.
The territory was first defined by a decree on August 31st, 1933, and includes eleven municipalities.
The small village of Barolo, whose name was used for the wine and not vice versa, is located in the middle of the wine region, about 20 minutes by car from Alba, in Piedmont, Italy.
The other villages are La Morra, Monforte, Serralunga d’Alba, Castiglione Falletto, Novello, Grinzane Cavour, Verduno, Roddi, parts of Cherasco and Diano d’Alba.
The Price Of Barolo Wine
The price of Barolo wine depends on a number of factors. Generally speaking, the longer is the aging the more expensive a bottle can get.
Secondly, be ready to pay more for single-vineyards Barolo obtained by clusters harvested on a specific hillside or on selected parts of a vineyard. These so-called crus, are renowned for the soil composition, the sun exposure and other qualities.
Sometimes, high-end winemakers select each individual grape for their premium wines, stemming them one by one, by hand, in order to crush only the best ones. Obviously, that has an impact on the price of the final product.
Why Is Barolo So Expensive?
Another frequently asked question is if Barolo is an expensive wine. If it is made with blends of Nebbiolo clusters coming from wider geographical areas or with second-choice grapes, tends to cost less.
The price of Barolo wine can start from as little as 20€ per bottle for an entry-level product and, usually, for the youngest vintage available on the market.
Exceptional vintages with an ideal balance between rain and heat throughout the season are also elements that can make Barolo an expensive wine.
Barolo’s Single-Vineyards, Crus, MGA
A Barolo wine tasting could not be accurate without trying to gain an understanding of the different hillsides scattered around the wine region and their qualities.
The idea of dividing vineyards into sub-areas was copied from France where the system of crus and grand crus existed long before. Barolo, in fact, is now composed of 181 single vineyards (or crus) or, in Italian, MGA (Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive).
Approved in 2009, these pieces of land can considerably vary in size, spanning from literally one small vineyard to a whole hillside, in the case of the 740 acres of Bussia, in Monforte d’Alba.
Each MGA stands out for the soil composition and minerals, specific sun exposition, humidity, and sometimes a microclimate.
Among the most famous ones, there are Cannubi, in the town of Barolo, one of the oldest vineyards recorded on documents dating back to the late 1700s, and Cerequio. Some others include Bricco Boschis, Brunate (between La Morra and Barolo), Lazzarito, Vignarionda, Cerretta, Francia (in Serralunga d’Alba), Monvigliero (in Verduno), Monprivato (in Castiglione Falletto)
The soil of the Barolo wine region
The rich soil composition of the Langhe Hills originated from sediments, minerals, and alluvial moraines left by an ancient sea that used to flood the region millions of years ago.
Some hills emerged from the sea earlier than others, sometimes with five or more millions of years of difference, generating sediments that can be bigger than those of the hills across.
While some areas may tend more to sand, the clay and marl (clay with a high content of calcium carbonate) are the most distinctive soil types of the Barolo wine region.
The way they change or mix with each other is one of the main impacts on the cultivation of Nebbiolo grapes and the wine’s final taste and ability to age.
Vineyards in the northern part of the Barolo wine region produce more delicate wines than those from Serralunga d’Alba and the south of the wine region, which tend to be more robust.
Best Barolo Vintages and Top Barolo Wines
Italyfinestwines published the ranking of the best Barolo vintages from 1995 to 2022. The best Barolo vintages range from the maximum excellence of five stars, to a minimum of one star for the worst vintages.
Barolo Wine Pairings
As Barolo wine is high in tannins, acidity, and alcohol content, the best food pairings are heavy dishes with a high-fat content.
Most traditional Piedmont dishes are decadent, prepared with a mix of butter and olive oil, sometimes lard, and an acid component like tomatoes. Therefore, beef, goose, game, stuffed ravioli, or creamy risotto, are all a great Barolo wine pairing.
Barolo wine is also highly aromatic, so that can be enjoyed with rich cheeses such as aged Castelmagno or the velvety goat-milk Robiola di Roccaverano or as an aftermeal with some dark chocolate, maybe in front of a fireplace.
Lastly, Piedmont is the land of white truffles and mushrooms which are also an ideal Barolo wine pairing.
What Does A Barolo Wine Tour Involve?
Meet Piemonte arranges a Barolo Wine Tour that suits the expectations of both first-time visitors and wine-enthusiasts.
Before the wine tasting, our Barolo Wine tour involves an in-depth presentation of the Barolo wine region. We drive around the Langhe hills and explore some of the eleven villages of the production area.
Which Are The Best Barolo Wineries To Visit?
In our wine tours, we visit boutique, family-owned cellars, ranging from small to medium size, generally speaking, producing between 90 to 250k bottles per year.
Meet Piemonte Tour Operator aims to connect visitors with local winemakers willing to personalize the tasting experience based on the guests’ interest, rather than serving pre-set wine pouring in a cold environment.
We visit cellars that most travelers would probably not find on their own, handpicked not only based on the wine quality, award-winning labels, and prestigious vineyards but also on the charm of the venue.
The wine tastings included in our Barolo Wine Tour involve exclusive single-vineyard harvests coming from different corners of the Barolo wine region.
By the end of the wine tour, our guests have a complete understanding of the evolution of Barolo wine and the different shades that can get.
Is Barolo Worth Visiting?
The town of Barolo is worth visiting because it is a traditional charming Italian village where many locals still live and mass tourism has not yet taken over.
An expert guide can bring to life hidden details, stories, and fun facts, wandering through the narrow streets flanked by wine shops and private homes. Here, tradition, winemaking, and local life blend in a fascinating storytelling.
Moreover, Barolo is worth visiting for a deeper look at the medieval castle, today the home of a wine museum, and for unraveling both the origins and the recent improvements of Barolo wine.
Back in the first half of the 1800s, the wealthy Juliette Colbert, wife of the last heir of the Falletti family lived in the castle of Barolo. She was the one to suggest the aging of the local Nebbiolo grapes in wood, a technique observed in her hometown in the Bordeaux region, from where she was coming.
With the help of Count Camillo Benso di Cavour, who lived in the nearby castle of Grinzane and was soon hired as Prime Minister by King Charles Albert of the House of Savoy, the newly born Barolo wine became a favorite of nobles and in many courts of Europe, so as to be nicknamed “the king of wines, wine of kings”.
What Time Of The Year Is Best For A Barolo Wine Tour?
Each season has its charm, from the lush and green summer vegetation to the decadent and colorful foliage of October. Even a sprinkle of snow in wintertime or some fog adds to the magic of the Langhe Hills, one of the most extended wine regions in the world. With clear skies, the views span from the southern Alps bordering Provence and the French Riviera to the Matterhorn and the Swiss Alps.
The only time of the year when it can be hard to find anything open is Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Most locals tend to close their wineries and businesses to stay with family. Restaurants tend to offer pre-set traditional menus that locals book far in advance, while in the days immediately before and after those holidays, everywhere becomes a ghost town.
What To See In The Barolo Wine Region?
Each of the eleven villages of Barolo’s production area preserves its flair. Serralunga d’Alba, for instance, is a sleepy village where the only street is shaped like a snail, radiating from a slender brick castle with tall watchtowers.
Verduno is located in the northern part of the Barolo wine region overlooking one side of the Tanaro River and the sandy Roero Hills, just across the river. The grassy belvedere, on the side of the main church, allows visitors to take the iconic photo of the Langhe hills with its vineyards and winding roads.
Meet Piemonte Tour Operator includes in the Barolo Wine Tour viewpoints over offbeat details and the natural features of this beautiful wine region.
One of the top 11 facts about Barolo Wine is that the Langhe Hills are a complex system of long and parallel ridges that run from south to north, degrading from the Ligurian Apennine mountains toward the Tanaro River.
What To See Around Alba: La Morra and Monforte d’Alba
La Morra is the highest hilltop village of the Barolo wine region, at an elevation of 500m (1640ft) above sea level. The panorama from the main square spans vineyard-striped valleys, faraway villages, and the distant snow-capped Alps.
The guide can even point to the colorful Chapel of Barolo, which is actually an art installation, also known as the Chapel of Sol LeWitt and David Tremlett, after the artists who transformed what was originally a one-room brick shelter into a work of art.
Perched on a crest overlooking the vines, the color-splashed structure is now a popular destination among hikers, picnickers, and photo-takers, thanks to its vivid facade, an off-kilter rainbow that stands in stark contrast to nature’s muted hues.
Monforte d’Alba earned a spot on the orange-flagged Italian towns list, which honors small urban centers of exceptional beauty and cultural value. It’s easy to see why in the historic center, where steep cobblestone lanes are lined with ochre-and-peach palazzi and rose bushes bloom around every bend.
A walk in town leads to the apex to find Auditorium Horszowski, an open-air theater whose grass-covered steps are flanked by a faded pink oratory and a soaring brick bell tower dating to the 13th century. Named after the Polish-American pianist who inaugurated the venue in 1986, the site is said to have perfect acoustics to host an annual summer jazz festival, among other musical and theatrical events.
