In the Heart of the Langhe

Visualizza Nel cuore delle Langhe in una mappa di dimensioni maggiori

In Barolo, depart from Piazza Caduti per la Libertà in front of the Municipal building. Descend the Vicolo del Pozzo road, and turn left on Via Enrico Ghisolfi. Leaving town, continue on this road until reaching Via della Valle. At the fork, take a left to Via Aie Sottane where you’ll find the ultra-modern winery Adelaide, a steel, glass, and wood building covered with a grass roof. Continue straight until the road approaches Via Alba. After about half a kilometer (0.3 miles), just after passing the winery of the farmhouse (cascina) Virna Borgogno, turn a right down Via Pugnane, a small asphalt road that leads past the large winery Sandrone towards Borgata Bussia. The road, cutting through the middle of the vineyards, rises up until it reaches the hillcrest.

Continue left here in the direction of Castiglione Falletto, in view of its castle and towers from the 13th century. This once-noble dwelling is today a private residence. Give yourself time to visit this small town that curls out and around the castle. If you’re in need of a break or a snack, step into the Locanda del Centro: Andrea and Valentina specialized in cuisine that is typical of the Langhe, with affordable prices for great food.

From Piazza del Centro in Castiglione, follow signs for the Langa and Barolo trail, which slopes downhill from Via Vittorio Emanuele on an increasingly steep path that opens up at the bottom in a valley. From here, take a right towards Monforte d’Alba, keeping left for Castelletto. Follow this until you approach a graveled street, and to the left a sign will point the way up towards Serralunga d’Alba, the other hub of wine tourism in the Langhe. 

Serralunga’s name comes from the town’s position and layout: a group of houses placed along the ridge of a hill resemble a lunga serra, or “long greenhouse.” The houses snuggled against the 14th century Gothic Castle outline a heart shape with their medieval walls. Inside, a few notably large chimneys with wooden roofs are all that remain of the original structures.

From Serralunga, going down along Road 125 and crossing the town of Baudana, don’t miss the chance to stop by the village of Fontanafredda, which bears a lovely winery and locale of the same name. In addition to checking out their wine collection, relax with an easy walk in the quaintly named Forest of Thoughts nestled in the estate’s vineyards. Along various points on the path are aphorisms and anecdotes that bring a smile to the face and encourage some quiet time for thought and meditation.

From here, you can connect to Road 9, which leads back to Barolo.