Explore the Langhe
Map of Piemonte and the Langhe area. Photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com.
In the northwestern Italy, in the region of Piemonte (aka Piedmont), lies a picturesque, hilly area known as the ‘Langhe’ (pronounced Lahn-ghey). Bordered by the Tanaro river, the area has been inhabited since Neolithic times, but flourished under Roman rule (fun fact: Emperor Pertinax was born in the Langhe).
The central hub of the Langhe is the town of Alba, which remained inhabited throughout medieval times, thanks to its sturdy Roman walls. In fact, the town became known as the ‘city of a hundred towers’ because of the sheer number of family towers crammed into such a small area. Over the years, towers fell, or were destroyed, when a family’s land was conquered by another family, or a family suffered a disgrace or loss of honor. Today, only a few remain, with the three tallest giving the city of Alba its distinctive skyline.
Surrounding Alba are hills filled with row upon row of neatly trimmed vineyards, the cause of the Langhe’s modern fame as a ‘Disneyworld’ of vineyards. Peeking through these hills and rows of vineyards are the Coattian Alps, bordering Piedmont with France, including the towering Monte Viso (often rumored to be the inspiration for the Paramount logo), taking an already postcard worthy location and making it stunning.
Despite the gorgeous views, and fun activities to do like hiking around vineyards and biking from village to village, the big draw in the Langhe are the wines, making some of the best red wines in the world, in particular the noble reds of Barolo and Barbaresco.
The vineyards of Aldo Clerico in the Langhe, looking out to the town of Diano d’Alba.
The Scoop on Barolo
Radiating out from the central hub of Alba, are a series of towns (also known as comune), each containing their own geographical history, composition, soil, exposure and everything else that combined make up ‘terroir’.
To the southwest of Alba, is the famous Barolo appellation which is spread across 11 towns, or comuni, with names like Barolo, Monforte d’Alba, Serralunga d’Alba, Castiglione Falletto, La Morra, etc. With the course of geological history (ancient oceanic movements, the changing course of the Tanaro river, etc.), each area has different soils that influence the Nebbiolo grape, used to make Barolo wine and considered one of Italy’s greatest native grapes, in different ways. A Barolo of Serralunga, for example, has a special and unique structure and is known to be the best for aging, thanks to the Serralunga area having the oldest known geography among the 11 Barolo appellation ‘comuni’. Monforte d’Alba, just south of Serralunga, is known for the most fruity Barolos while also having distinct structure and age-worthiness. Aldo Clerico’s home and estate winery is in Monforte d’Alba where he makes a Barolo from his home’s vineyards and a Barolo from the sought-after Ginestra Cru, coming from his wife, Valentina Conterno’s, family vineyards with literal roots in this very small sub zone of Monforte d’Alba.
View from one of Aldo Clerico’s Barolo designated vineyards in Monforte d’Alba in December looking over the Alps.
Beyond Barolo
The Langhe vineyards however, are home to more than just Barolos. Tucked into other towns, or comuni, are grape varieties, mostly red, that are every bit as enjoyable, such as Dolcetto, with the ‘best’ considered to be from the town of Dogliani. The Dolcetto grape is considered to have a natural balance of acidity and tannins along with fruit making it a quaffable and food friendly red wine which is popular with the locals. So much so that it inspired Patti Mitchell of Ojai Pacific View in California to try her hand at crafting Dolcetto state-side.
Additionally, we find wines such as Barbera whose grape has super high acidity making it almost a ‘requirement’ to have food with it. Fortunately Barbera reds from the Langhe, like Barbera d’Alba have great fruit to go along with the acidity making them delicious to enjoy also on their own.
It goes without saying, given that Barolos and Barbarescos are the most esteemed wines from the Langhe, that Langhe red wines made from 100% Nebbiolo, aka the Langhe Nebbiolo wine, is a good lower budget stand-by for a Barolo, like Aldo Clerico Langhe Nebbiolo, which essentially is a de-classified Barolo.
Taste the Langhe
There is so much to explore in the Langhe, from wines to cuisine, to history, and nature hikes. There is a quaint beauty to the area that causes many to fall in love with the area. Fall in love yourself and try the wines of Aldo Clerico from the heart of the Langhe, like his Barbera, Nebbiolo, Dogliani Dolcetto, Barolo, Barolo from Serralunga, and Barolo from the exclusive, much sought-after subzone of Ginestra. Or perhaps you would like to try a California Dolcetto from Ojai Pacific View.
Stay tuned to our blog, as our next post will have a surprisingly delicious traditional recipe from the Langhe which our resident chef is working on. Or you can check out a few Langhe recipes we already published or you can brush up on another Langhe delicacy: truffles! After all, the truffle season just started September 21st!