Origins, anecdotes and characteristics of an excellent wine symbol of Made in Italy in the world: Barolo.

Barolo-Italy, an inseparable pairing that brings with it one of the countless shades of excellence for which our country is admired throughout the world. Barolo is the Italian red wine par excellence, the first recognized internationally as being of great quality and only in recent decades threatened by Brunello, another great representative of our Italy.

Its history is long and starts from the Nebbiolo grape, which has always been closely linked to the Piedmont region. Considered one of the most prestigious wines not only in Italy but also in the rest of the world, it still seems to have little information about its origins.

History and anecdotes about Barolo

At the same time, however, several texts have been written on the history of this excellence by qualified authors who have attempted to tell the stories linked to this product and the people who have increased its prestige. From the sources that remain, it is clear that this “pearl”, first and foremost Piedmontese, seems to have been officially born during the marriage of Carlo Tancredi Falletti di Barolo to Juliette Colbert: it was the bride, of noble origins, who proposed a new type of wine aging to the Savoy court, aware of the possibility of being able to use her cellars in the municipalities of Barolo and Serralunga d'Alba.

Initially, this alcoholic beverage was in fact made with another technique, that is, through fermentation in the open air since there was no possibility of doing it indoors. Being outdoors, the wine acquired a decidedly sweeter and more lively flavor than today.

Thanks to Juliette Colbert's intervention, Barolo was left to age in the cellars, in a more controlled way and where the climate was certainly more suitable. King Carlo Alberto of Savoy, having later learned of this new wine, decided to taste it and was so ecstatic that he bought an estate in Verduno to produce his own version.

Over the years, Barolo also won over Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, who began using it as an institutional wine for his formal and friendly gatherings. However, it was in 1966 that Barolo obtained the Controlled Designation of Origin and subsequently in 1980 also the Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin , protected and controlled by the Consortium for the Protection of Barolo and Barbaresco .

To date, given the limited information available on the birth of the wine in question, the Piedmont region and the Department of Valorization and Protection of Reserves of the University of Turin, have been carrying out in recent years a real study relating to the production area of ​​Barolo which is born exactly in the hills of the Langhe, located a short distance from the city of Alba. They can be defined as a territory characterized by strips of land that extend, each assuming different characteristics and that today present different peculiarities compared to times gone by.

The Langhe

The territory where this wine is produced is very peculiar. A fundamental role is played by the reliefs that protect the surrounding area making it rich in sugars and mineral salts.

The production of Barolo It mainly occurs on a particular type of land called Tortonian , characterized by gray-blue marls considered not very resistant but ideal for growing vines and stratified sands. The wine thus tends to take on different connotations depending on the municipality in which it is produced.

The territory where this magical nectar is produced, in fact, is very different even if it extends only for a few kilometers and in different cities. The towns that welcome and produce this wine are eleven in total: Monforte d'Alba, Castiglione Falletto, La Morra, Cherasco, Diano d'Alba, Grinzane Cavour, Novello, Verduno, Roddi, Serralunga d'Alba and of course Barolo. Today it is considered a wine with boundless success, having increasingly increased its prestige and its image in markets all over the world and the main characteristics that make consumers so passionate, are due above all to its great quality.

Barolo: the characteristics

A jewel to be treated with due manners and due respect, the Barolo, however, must be served at a temperature ranging from 16 to 18 degrees in rather large glasses to be able to savor all its perfume and aromas. Its alcohol content is at least 13 degrees and the grapes used come exclusively from the native Nebbiolo vines.

Before being sold, Barolo then undergoes aging for at least three years and during this period the wine must spend at least 18 months in oak barrels.

The pairings that best enhance the flavour of this wine are without a doubt second courses based on red meat such as stews, roasts, braised meats and game, but its flavour also goes very well with cheeses, especially mature ones, and with first courses based on truffles and porcini mushrooms.

In the version called Barolo chinato can also accompany desserts and especially dry ones such as typical Piedmont biscuits or those made with chocolate. It can also be considered a meditation wine, excellent to sip during a long evening or with a good book.

So many, therefore, the context variations in which to drink it, so much elegance and Italian pride that its large glass can unleash, placing the Bel Paese once again as a world reference point for yet another excellence produced.

Written by Carlo Attisano for mangiaebevi.it