The Perfect Barolo Wine Tour: Unforgettable weekend on a Vespa / Sensational Tips For Couples

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In this post you’ll discover how to have the most amazing self-made wine tasting week-end of your life! We rented a Vespa & spent a weekend in Barolo, a famous wine town near Turin. We toured the main villages in the Langhe UNESCO vineyards. Here is our itinerary, hotel, restaurants & wine tasting experience. Hope you’ll have as much fun as we did !

To learn how to complement this trip with other amazing experiences nearby, you may want to check my other posts:

If you want to learn more on Barbaresco, here is Exciting weekend beyond possible in Barbaresco
if You are heading to Turin, discover the city with the Perfect One-Day guide from a local
if you fancy the beach, you may want to read The Best Beach Weekend from Turin

Hope you’ll find this content useful!

1. Top 3 reasons to Visit Langhe

In my view, there are 3 key reasons to visit the Langhe wine region: 1. Superior wine 2. Incredible food and 3. Relaxing country-side scenery.

1.1 Superior wine

As you may know, Langhe is home to some of the most prestigious wines of Italy.

This area is mainly famous for its full bodied structured red wines such as Barolo, Barbaresco and Nebbiolo. It also has some interesting white wine to taste such as the widely available “Arneis” or the premium but niche historical “Nascetta”.

1.2 Incredible food

The Langhe area is famous world-wide to Foodies thanks to its many “Michelin Star” restaurants & as it is home to the rare & prestigious White Truffle. Having said that, you can eat incredibly well at affordable price literally in any restaurant in the area.

1.3 Relaxing country-side scenery

Its unique scenery is simply to die for. Its gentle hills entirely covered with vineyards offer a breath-taking landscape which made Langhe an unforgettable UNESCO Heritage site.

2. Day trip or Weekend?

The Langhe wine region is very close to Turin which makes it a perfect day trip.

If you need to get out of the dust & bust of the city there is nothing better than the hilly country-side of the Langhe vineyards. Logistics are easy & you’ll get a relaxing gateway.

Yet, if you really want to make the most out of this area we really recommend you spend the whole weekend to enjoy the true Italian Dolce Vita, without any rush.

By the way, if you are visiting Turin and you were planning to go to the beach, the Langhe area is the perfect stop-over. It is basically half way through to your way to the beach (Savona or Genoa). You can read more about the best beach trip of turin at the following link: best beach near Turin.

3. How far is Turin from Barolo?

*Google maps road Turin to Langhe by car*

The Langhe wine region is very close to Turin: it is only about 80 kms south.

It is a perfect day trip from Turin in case you need a short break from the city. Furthermore, you’ll be able to taste the most amazing food and one the best wines of Italy

3.1 Where is the Langhe Region of Italy?

The answer is simple, it is South-West of Turin, roughly half-way between Turin and its nearest beach in Savona/Genoa (Liguria).

Langhe is still part of the Piedmont region, just like Turin. Yet, it is part of a different province called Cuneo. The closest airport is Cuneo International Airport.

3.2 Which villages are part of Langhe?

Langhe is a UNESCO Heritage Site, and refers to a prestigious wine producing region in the North-West part of Italy, specifically 80 km South of Turin. The most famous wine of the region is Barolo.

The Langhe is made up of several different villages, the most popular of which are: Alba, Barolo, Barbaresco, La Morra and Neive. You’ll find more details below in this post.

4. Best way to get to Langhe?

4.1 BY CAR

The easiest way is to go by car, it will take you only 1h 10 drive and will cost you 50€ for a return trip.

You simply take the Torino-Savona highway and up to Guarene exit. Total trip cost is approx. 40-50€ (tolls cost will be 22€ for return trip and roughly the same amount for petrol).

4.2 BY TRAIN

If you go by train it will take you 1h 30 from Torino Porta Nuova up until Alba. One watch out: you need to change train in Carmagnola. Return trip will cost you 15€.

Then if you want to get to Barolo, you need to take the local bus.

4.3 OUR RECOMMENDATION

Get to Langhe how you want. But once you’re there, rent a VESPA!

There is nothing better than driving through the gentle hills of the vineyards than on a Vespa, smell the aromas of the land with a soft breeze of air, no parking issues & easy to stop over for a break or picture.

We rented our scooter with a company called Langarent, which we highly recommend. The vehicle was brand new and had the i-phone holder integrated, which was really handy for using GoogleMaps. The owner was really nice gave us useful tips. Last but not least, it was the cheapest deal: we paid 70 eur for the full day.

5. Few watch-outs

Important: Don’t rely on public transportation to move around the Langhe area

Whether to get here by car or by train is entirely up to you based on how much time & disposable income you have. But Make sure you have a private means of transportation once you’re there.

This means two things: either you go to Langhe by car OR you can get there by train and rent a Vespa/E-bike once you’re there.

If you go by train, you will be stuck in Alba. Don’t get me wrong, Alba is a pretty little city with great food options and superior wine selection (it is part of Barbaresco wine area).

Yet, the best part is wondering around the vineyards so you can admire the beautiful different Medieval villages and stop for wine tasting across different wine cellars.

You cannot do all of this relying purely on public transportation.

6. Langhe wine map: explained

Illustration of langhe region on a map with break down of different wine subregions

Above you’ll see the map of the Langhe Region with a break-down of key villages & wine areas.

The two most prestigious wine regions of the Langhe area are: Barolo & Barbaresco. As you can see from the map below, Barolo is on the south-west area, whereas Barbaresco in on the North-East side.

7. Our perfect Barolo itinerary

Illustration on a map of the Barolo villages we visited

During our weekend wine trip, we focused only on the Barolo region.

In the picture below you can find the itinerary that we did. It allowed us to visit the five following stunning medieval old towns: La Morra, Barolo, Monforte d’Alba, Serralunga d’Alba and Castiglion Falletto.

8. Where did we stay?

We stayed in Monforte D’Alba! But anywhere close to the following five littles Barolo towns will do the job: La Morra, Barolo, Monforte d’Alba, Serralunga d’Alba and Castiglion Falletto.

Above is a short video of our hotel. We had a lovely infinity Pool, wide outdoors and a very rich buffet. And it costed us only 150€ per night! If you want to learn where we stayed at, please send us an email at weekendinturin@gmail.com

9. The 5 Barolo villages: Quick summary

9.1 LA MORRA

My favorite of all is La Morra.

Reason is that it has it all: probably the most impressive panorama view on the vineyards of the whole region, a fabulous central square, a nice church & a bell tower.

You will fall in love with this town, 100% guaranteed!

Cherry on the cake was that on the way to La Morra you can see one of the famous “Panchine Giganti” (which are part of the famous Big Bench project).

9.2 SERRALUNGA D’ALBA

My second favorite was Serralunga D’Alba.It is a really nice mediavel village with a lovely castle.

You can even go up to the top of the bell tower inside the Castello di Serralunga. It will cost you only 6€ and it seemed worth a visit, it is unfortunate we didn’t have time to do so. We’ll do next time for sure!

If interested, here is the link to visit the Serralunga’s Castle.

9.3 CASTIGLION FALLETTO

Castiglion Felletto was our third favorite village. It is the tinies of all.

It has a nice Castle, but the most amazing things of all was is its incredible views! Here you will can see another one of the famous big Bench, in Italian they’re called “Panchine giganti”.

The view that you see in our picture above is what you will see from the Big Bench, truly stunnig. You can see the video of the stunning view at the Panchine giganti section at the end of this post.

9.4 BAROLO

Barolo village is also worth a visit.

Its castle is a bit less impressive from the outside. But I really loved how beautiful some of streets of the town look. And the wine shops were very well equipped with loads of wine tasting opportunities.

9.5 MONFORTE D’ALBA

Last but not Least is Monforte D’Alba. The most interesting thing here is the church, which you can visit free of charge. Worth a quick stopover considering you are in the area.

We stayed in Monforte d’Alba. In the video below is the view we had from our balcony.

10. Local food not to miss

The most typical food here are: Tajarin pasta, Ravioli del Plin, Battuta di Fassona and Vitello Tonnato. Above you can see a picture of each.

Another typical thing from here is the “Langhe” Hazelnut. So if you ever see in a menu a home-made cake with hazelnut make sure you try it!

To learn more on what is in these dishes and more, you can read my other on Top 15 Best Food.

11. Our favorite Lunch Spot

Our best lunch was at More and Macine. It was really tasty and also affordable in price. Pictures above.

We had two pasta dishes (tajarin & ravioli del plin), plus one Tiramisu to share and a bottle of water. Everything was delicious and we spent only 29€ in total (for 2 people).

You can find the link to the trip advisor restaurant review: More & Macine restaurant.

12. Our Wine tasting experience

We did our wine tasting at Dosio winery, in La Morra. We chose this winery as their wine standards are pretty high, they won several awards and their view is simply breathtaking.

We paid for 5 tasting, but the young lady was kind enough to make us taste 7 different wines. In particular we tasted the following:

Two white wines: one Roero Arneis and one mélange which they called “Langhe Bianco” AND
Five Red wines: one Barbaresco and four Barolo, last of which was their Barolo Cru “Serradenari”

Value for money was great. We paid 25€ per person for the tasting plus 15€ for a platter of local cheese & hams. If you wanna learn more, here is the link to the winery, see the following link: Dosio Vigneti.

13. Organized Wine Tours

If you’re really serious about wine tasting, the best option is to go ahead with an organized tour.

I put a few options with different price ranges below to help you out. Hope you find this handy.

I haven’t had the chance to try any of the below, but based on ratings & reviews these seemed the best options.

Let me point out that I will make a small commission at no extra cost for you in case you decide to book tours from the link below.

14. Barolo & Barbaresco wine: explained

Barolo & Barbaresco are both made 100% from the Nebbiolo grapes. They both have DOCG status. The Nebbiolo grape is quite reach in tannins which creates a powerful full-bodied flavour.

14.1 Barbaresco vs Barolo: key differences

Both are really great wines, you won’t go wrong. If Barolo is often referred as the King of Italian wine, we could say Barbaresco is the Queen. They are among the most prestigious wines of Italy!

I personally love both. I feel Barbaresco is still a bit underrated and provides incredible value for money.

If I have a dish of red meat in front of me I prefer a Barolo. Yet, I typically tend to drink more Barbaresco as I find it more versatile, easier to drink as it is bit less rich in tannins and in body.

Key differences between the two is that Barbaresco grapes ripen earlier as its region is near the Tanaro river, this results in lower maceration time and consequently Barbaresco has:

Less tannins
Lighter wine
Less structured
Greater finesse, smooth & soft personality (while Barolo soil creates fuller bodies/more tannins)
More fruity character
More consistency in taste, as its region is way smaller
Requires less aging to express its full flavor, on other side Barolo probably ages better

14.2 Barolo deep-dive

Barolo is the most popular & prestigious wine of the Langhe region and one of Italy’s top wines.

Barolo Wine description & Pairing

Taste: full bodied
Flavors: Tars & Roses. Rich and complex flavour
Key Aromas: berries, cherries, plum, roses, chocolate, leather
Pairing: Like most tannic red wines, it will overwhelm light dishes. Hence, avoid fish/ white meat. Ideal pairing is a second course with red meat

Barolo area and rules

In order to be called Barolo, the grapes need to come from one of the following 11 villages:

Any vineyards in the following 3 towns: Barolo, Castiglione Falletto e Serralunga d’Alba
Part of the vineyards within the following 8 towns: La Morra, Monforte d’Alba, Roddi, Verduno, Cherasco, Diano d’Alba, Novello e Grinzane Cavour

Few rules that a wine maker needs to follow to have the right to obtain the Barolo DOCG name

have a minimum 38 months of aging (> 3years), 62 months for “Riserva” status
of which 18 months in an oak
Planted withing following altitude: 170meters -540 meter

Such restrictions maximize the chance of ripening, if planted too high or too low it might not receive adequate amount of sun and heat.

Each commune has slightly different altitude, soil and sun exposure. Hence, each of their Barolo develops a different flavour & character.

The most valuable are the vineyerds ones facing South for its sun exposure.

14.3 Barbaresco deep-dive

Is also one of Italy’s best wines, yet less renowned than Barolo.

Barbaresco Wine description & Pairing

Taste: rich in body & tannins
Aromas: Bouquet of roses or violets, notes of cherry and licorice
Pairing:
Like most tannic red wines, it will overwhelm light dishes (i.e fish/ white meat). Ideally a second course with red meat.
Given it is more gentle than Barolo, I personally think it goes along well with Pasta or a Risotto provided there is a meat sauce (i.e. Bolognese Sauce, Ragu of Salsiccia di Bra)

Barbaresco area and rules

In order to be called Barbaresco, the grapes need to come from one of the following 4 villages: Barbaresco, Neive, Treiso and San Rocco Senodelvio.

Few rules to follow to obtain the Barbaresco DOCG name:

Aged for at least 26 months, 48 months to for “Riserva status”
Of which, minimum 9 months in oak
Planted withing following altitude: not above 550 meter
Vineyeard cannot face north

15. Dinner with incredible view

For Saturday night dinner we went to the famous restaurant Locanda in Cannubi, in Barolo.

The location is incredible. The most amazing view on vineyards I have ever seen. We arrived a bit before sundown, so we can fully appreciate the view. Our pictures don’t give justice to the panorama.

Now when it comes to food, I was expecting a little bit more. Dishes were very well presented but I felt I lacked a little bit of taste. And of course, it was a lot pricier than other restaurants.

Here is the link to Locanda Cannubi on Tripadvisor, which today is rated as 4.5 stars.

16. The Hidden Big Bench

In the langhe vineyeards there few Big Benches you may want to consider including in your itinerary.

For the ones not familiar with the Big Bench project, this is a really cool initiative from a non-profit organization in support of tourism for great places which are still considered as “minor destinations”.

They consist literally in building massive colorful benches in very panoramic areas. They became very famous as a lot of people like to take selfies in front of them.

During our visit we managed to see two big benches: one in la Morra and one in Castiglion Falletto. We strongly suggest to stop by the latter one!

16.1 Castiglione Falletto Big Bench: Hidden Jewel

The Big Bench of Castiglione Falletto one on the other end is a bit more hidden but a true jewel. In the video above you’ll see the view from the Big Bench. Truly amazing! Worth a stop!

It is basically at the very end of the village, you need to take a small unpaved road to find it. You can see video below. Make sure you don’t miss this one!

16.2 La Morra Big Bench

La Morra Big Bench is impossible to miss, you drive by it when driving up to the town. See video above.

16.3 Useful links

Hope you found this post helpful and that you’ll have as much fun as we did.

If you liked this post, please leave a comment and share on your social media. It will help us reach more people & help them having an unforgettable week-end!

If you want to visit the best beach nearby Langhe, you can read my post on Best Beach near Turin.
If you’re up for visiting Turin, you can find more details my post Turin One Day Guide from a local
If you want to learn more on White Truffle, here is a helpful link