Our previous Italian getaway to Apricale made us ‘thirsty’ for more. This time (end 2017 when Diesel was still around) we decided to head the direction of Piedmont, a five and a halve hour drive away from our spot in Provence. The region is well-known for its prized white and black truffles, hazelnuts, Ferrero Rocher chocolates, Fiat, famous Barolo wine and savoury rich food.
Agriturismo Cascina Rocca
Agriturismo Cascina Rocca, in la Morra (Piemonte) is a great place to spend your time when visiting the prestigious Barolo area. It is a central location with excellent and friendly service. The rooms are clean and comfortable and they offer an outstanding complimentary breakfast in the morning. Their selection of wines are excellent and from their very own productions, Cantina Franco Molino. Our experience was nothing short of amazing and we would recommend this to anyone looking to enjoy their trip in this area in a great location.
We had gorgeous sunny and warm weather so a dip in the recently renewed pool was an excellent start of this getaway! As usual you can click on each image to see enlarged…
Barolo
Barolo is located south of Alba. It is easily walkable, although some of the streets are quite steep. You can walk the entire town in 30 minutes. Barolo is a world famous wine city and it is the namesake city for the “king of wines and the wine of kings.” Barolo is a very scenic small town where the surrounding countryside is spectacular. There are some splendid panoramic views from the Castello Falletti. However, if you are not interested in wine, there is not much to see or do in Barolo. For the non-wine lover, it is probably not worth a visit. Just so you know 🙂
Some impressions of the colorful Barolo village, where pink seems to be the main color! 🙂
Visiting a local wine farmer ‘Azienda agricola Abrigo Giovanni’
Remember our lovely visit and lunch to Apricale? Well, that’s how we got to visit this family owned winery. The owner Simone of the lovely restaurant A Ciassa in Apricale informed us about the wine we ordered and since we mentioned we headed for Barolo, he warmly advised us to go taste (and buy 🙂 ) at the winery itself. And so we did!
Azienda Agricola Giovanni Abrigo, a winery that, from the high hill of Diano d’Alba, enhances this area among the most suitable for the cultivation of the vine because they are optimally exposed to the rays of the sun. Sun, microclimate, professionalism: everything is there to offer wine lovers the Dolcetto di Diano, and so much more. And over the years, believing in the strong link with this particular terroir, Paola and Giorgio have managed to be present in many areas of the world including the United States, Northern Europe, Japan, China, Brazil and South America. In addition to wine, their top product, they also cultivate ten hectares of hazelnuts, another excellence of the Langhe area, sold in shell or roasted.
Panoramic views over the vineyard landscape of Piemonte
The idyllic vineyard landscapes of Piedmont are rarely invaded by crowds of tourists, and the run-up to the grape harvests, beginning in September, can be an ideal time to visit winemakers, who have more time than usual to let visitors taste their vintages. Great wines are made all over the region, but the key area, just an hour’s drive from Turin, is the Langhe and Roero, separated by the winding Tanaro river. The Langhe’s rolling vine-clad hills produce barolo and barbaresco, two of the world’s greatest red wines. The Roero has started producing its own wines much more recently, including the excellent white arneis, and landscapes here are still a mix of thick woodlands, farmland and now vines.
Lunchtime!
There cannot be another part of Italy that is so well organised for wine enthusiasts, who are welcomed over plates of salami and cheese for tastings, often without making an appointment, while many viticoltori have opened up their wineries as inexpensive B&Bs. Then there is the food. Meals in a Piedmont osteria or agriturismo tend to be gargantuan affairs – antipasto, pasta, a hearty main course and delicious dessert – all at exceptionally good value.
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