Last year I was lucky enough to enjoy a sneak preview of the new Barolo wine museum. Recently I visited it again, after the official opening, and I was really impressed.

The visitor is initially taken to the third floor of the castle and the visit is structured like a descent into the depths of wine culture: the atmospheric concept of venturing into the myths and mysteries of Bacchus’ nectar is matched by the physical sensation of going down into the heart of the Falletti castle, as the route descends from the third floor to the basement.

But the museum is not focused on the history and details of making Barolo. It seems like the main goal is to get visitors involved and engaged, and less to inform them. There is little factual information here and visitors looking to get an in-depth knowledge of winemaking are likely to be disappointed.

The main idea behind this wine museum is that nowadays wine tourists want more from their wine: in their search for high quality, they are interested in wine history, learning about production techniques, and understanding the characteristics of the area in question.

Music accompanies visitors as they walk through 25 rooms of the museum, from Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons to modern songs celebrating wine to which a special room is dedicated.
In another room, with leather club chairs, velvet curtains and movie posters on the walls, clips are running of films inspired by wine, such as “Sideways”, “Blood and Wine” and “A Good Year”.

At the end of the journey, down in the basement, there is a wine shop which displays rows of old dusty bottles and where visitors can finally taste barolo’s warm flavor and buy some of the best labels, from Vietti to Bruno Giacosa, from Sandrone to Gaja to Giacomo Conterno.

If you stay with us this year, the museum is only 5 minutes walk from TorreBarolo and we took many pictures. You can see them in TorreBarolo Flickr account.

How? Simply Like TorreBarolo on Facebook by the 15^th of March, suggest our page to your friends (we do check that and you automatically will qualify for the drawing.

If you have “liked” TorreBarolo already, then easy, just continue to support the TorreBarolo business page with your comments and suggest it to as many friends as possible (and we will check that, yes

The rules:

• As of March 15^th, all names on our business page will be entered into a hat and we will draw a name. If the lucky winner is unable to redeem their prize, then we will draw a 2nd winner … and so on.
• The prize of 3 nights at TorreBarolo has a value of €375 and is not redeemable in cash. As is standard at TorreBarolo, a security deposit will still be requested upon check-in.
• The availability period for the winner’s 3 night stay runs from March 16^th, 2011 to April 15^th, 2011.
• If the winner removes him/herself from the TorreBarolo business page before their 3 night stay, the winner forfeits their winning.
• After staying at TorreBarolo, the winner will be requested to enter a review on the TorreBarolo website.
• The winner will be contacted via Facebook directly via their message inbox.
• The final winner will be announced on the business page on March 16^th.

As it was only 15:00 by the time I had completed both my lunch and giro of Asti, it was too early to head back to TorreBarolo, so I figured I may as well check out Alessandria as it was only 35km away. Alessandria is much bigger than both Alba and Asti, as evident by the fact that it has multiple exits on the Autostrada. So again, using my tried and tested method of heading towards “centro” and Piazza Liberta, I found myself in the center of the historic section of Alessandria. Again, I was surprised by the ample outside parking lots in the city center.

After referring to the little map of Alessandria in my Italy road atlas, I headed off towards Corso Roma, as anything with a “Roma” tends to be the city’s shopping street. At first I wasn’t too impressed but as I kept walking down this very long pedestrian street lined with various clothes and jewellery shops, I began to enjoy my stroll more and more as the well restored historic buildings lining the street really gave it a nice charm. My stroll brought me to very impressive Piazza Garibaldi. The porticos were especially impressive and added elegance to this square.

Another thing I have learned over the year is that a very nice bar (i.e., with table cloths and waiters) tends to be located on these beautiful historic piazzas. I spotted one but kept on walking as I wasn’t in need of a rest just yet. Heading away from Pizza Garibaldi up Via Maestra is when I really started enjoying my mini-adventure to this new city. Again, the street was lined with historic, well restored building though instead of clothing stores, store after store was a bakery, a pastry shop, a butcher, a fishmonger or a fruit and vegetable vendor.

My favourite was checking out the “delis” with the cured ham hanging above the counter and the massive stacks of DOP parmigiano cheese. There was also an ample section of fresh pasta stores and one had some yummy looking take-away lasagna that I considered as an easy dinner option. The street was lively as it was now past 5pm and it was fun to watch all the ladies in their fur coats do their evening shop.

I stumbled upon a lovely arcade and tucked inside was a quaint café/patisserie. With the table cloths, wooden chairs and ladies having tea, I knew this was the perfect place to settle down for some refreshment and a read of the Herald Tribune I bought back in Asti. What a pleasure it was to find they served bicerin, which is the sumptuous hot drink that consists of layers of thick rich hot chocolate, espresso and fresh cream that originated in Turin.

A glass of this is a meal almost, but I couldn’t resist sampling some of the yummy biscuits they had in their cases. By the time I left 40 minutes later, the tables were all filled by parents treating their kids or elderly couples having a little treat.

By this time it was getting colder and darker, so I thought time to head back to TorreBarolo.

So, would I recommend you have Alessandria as a day trip destination? That is tough call. It takes a bit of effort to find the old town center and doesn’t offer anything like the regal pizzas in Turin with the gorgeous turn of the century cafes. Instead, it offers no tourists, some pretty piazzas and a nice stroll down streets that you wish you had in your own neighbourhood. No question, Alessandria was a pleasant surprise but if I had limited time in the area I don’t think it offers enough to make it a day trip destination…….but I am glad I made the effort.

Suoni dalle Colline di Langhe e Roero is the title of this year’s Alba Music Festival, summer edition and it opens July 16th in Alba and run through August 1st. The festival is the collaboration between the City of Alba and St. Mary’s College of Maryland, USA. This year marks the fourth edition of the summer program and will showcase artists from Italy as well as the US, Japan, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Argentina, England and Germany.

The program will consist of the Brass Quintet of the National RAI Symphony Orchestra, the famous Arias of Opera and Operetta with the Japanese soprano Miyuki Hayakawa, a performance dedicated to the Argentinean tango with the dancers Nancy Alejandra Micelli and Fernando Oscar Gargaglione, the Romanian State Orchestra performing Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and the Spanish dancer Monica Sanchez. Also there will be piano recitals with four international soloists paying homage to Chopin and Schumann for the bicentennial of their birth. There will also be Jazz from Barend Middelhoff and his quintet.

This festival provides an occasion to discover the many beautiful places in the area, from the castle of Grinzane Cavour and Magliano Alfieri to the splendid boroughs of Castiglione Falletto, La Morra and Verduno.  Also visitors should take time to visit the striking Tenuta Carretta of Piobesi,  the Confraternita di San Bernardino of Vezza d’Alba and the fascinating Santuario della Madonna di Hal di Murazzano.

Six of the concert venues are part of the Strada Romantica of Langhe and Roero, a driving route that highlights places that through its setting and the stories of the people who live there bring to life this special area of Italy.

See below or download the Calendar of Alba Music Festival 2010:

Friday, July 16, 2010
9,00 PM Alba, Chiesa di San Giuseppe
“Harp and dance”

Saturday, July 17, 2010
9,00 PM Vezza d’Alba, Confraternita di San Bernardino
“Virtuoso trumpet”

Sunday, July 18, 2010
9,00 PM La Morra, Chiesa di San Rocco
“Van li effluvi de le rose…”
Nocturnes, romances and songs

Monday, July 19, 2010
9,00 PM Piobesi d’Alba, Tenuta Carretta
“Music to see”
Magnasco Movie Quartet

Tuesday, July 20, 2010
9,00 PM Alba, Chiesa di San Giuseppe
“Così fan tutte”
Reality and legend in the life of Lorenzo Da Ponte
Music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wednesday, July 21, 2010
9,00 PM Grinzane Cavour, Castello, Sala delle Maschere
“En evening with the Buranello”
The sonnets for two violins of Baldassarre Galuppi

Thursday, July 22, 2010
9,00 PM Verduno, Cortile del Municipio
“Take 5”
Brass Quintet of the National RAI Symphony Orchestra

Friday, July 23, 2010
9,00 PM Treiso, ex Chiesa dei Battuti
“The Harlequin’s Serenade”
Famous Arias of the Opera and Operetta

Saturday, July 24, 2010
9,00 PM Murazzano, Santuario della Madonna di Hal
“Romantic Road”
Homage to Robert Schumann for the bicentennial of his birth

Sunday, July 25, 2010
9,00 PM Castiglione Falletto, Piazza del Municipio
“Nuevo Encuentro y tango”
Music and dance from Argentina

Monday, July 26, 2010
9,00 Piobesi d’Alba, Tenuta Carretta
“Midsummer night’s dream”
Romanian State Symphony Orchestra

Tuesday, July 27, 2010
9,00 PM Annunziata di La Morra, Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata
“The magic flute”
Music of Haydn, Mozart, Stamitz

Wednesday, July 28, 2010
9,00 PM Sinio, Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Frontiniano
“Alborada del gracioso”
Music of Franck, Beethoven, Chopin, Ravel

Thursday, July 29, 2010
9,00 PM Trezzo Tinella, Chiesa dei Battuti
“Harmonies du soir”
Music of Liszt, Franck, Brahms, Chopin

Friday, July 30, 2010
9,00 PM Magliano Alfieri, Chiesa Parrocchiale di Sant’Andrea
“Aimez-Vous Chopin?”
Homage to Frédéric Chopin, for the bicentennial of his birth

Saturday, July 31, 2010
9,00 PM La Morra, Casa Vinicola Mascarello
“Jazz Lines”
Special Guest Barend Middelhoff saxaphone

Sunday, August 1, 2010
5,00 PM Sale San Giovanni, Castello dei Marchesi Incisa di Camerana
“Nubes de Buenos Aires”

One of my favourite places to go in the Langhe to enjoy a dramatic setting among the rolling hills is the Grinzane Castle in Grinzane Cavour, less than a 10minute drive from TorreBarolo.

The castle is an imposing building erected around a central tower that dates back to the 1^st half of the 11^th century and post a restoration in 1960 it can be admired in all of its original beauty. Moreover, by being set off from the town and surrounded by vineyards on three sides, it has one of the most spectacular settings in the Langhe.

The castle currently is homes to numerous facilities. On the ground floor is the Piedmontese Regional Enoteca, which was the first to be set up in Piedmont back in 1971. This enoteca showcases the very best regional wines and grappas and each wine goes through a strict selection process before being displayed and placed on sale. The enoteca provides tastings as well.

When my wine fanatic friends are visiting me at TorreBarolo, I always bring them here as from my experience it does have the best selection of the regional offerings and offering good one stop shopping. Here you can find a list of all the wineries represented in the Enoteca Regionale. On the 1^st floor is the Hall of the Masks as well as a restaurant and bar. The Hall of the Masks is where the Order of the Knights of the Truffle and Wines of Alba as well as the National Association of Cheese tasters celebrates its Chapters. The Restaurant Al Castello offers a unique setting; however, it is the bar that I think is worth making a special stop for as it has a huge window that frames the surrounding vineyards that makes for a breath-taking venue to have a café or aperitif.

Several of the castle’s rooms are dedicated to ethnography and the castle houses a permanent museum which includes truffles, rare articles relating to local food and wine traditions as well as kitchen setting from the 17^th century.

Every November the castle is home to the world famous White Truffle Auction where celebrated chefs from throughout Italy and the world attend to participate in the live worldwide auction for the finest Albese white truffles. It is not unusual for the most select truffles to go for over €100,000.

Opening hours are 09.30 – 19.00 (April to October) and 09.30 – 18.00 in the winter months. The castle is closed on Tuesdays.

Something that I did last time I was in Barolo, that I would recommend to guests at TorreBarolo or to the Langhe in general is to drive the Strada Romantica delle Langhe e del Roero (the Romantic Road). It is an itinerary to discover some of the regional most beautiful and interesting panoramic points. Each of the 11 stopping points was chosen for its special position and view on the natural landscape of the Langhe and Roero region. Moreover, there are informative panels at each of these stopping points that relate stories about the land. Although many people come to the Langhe because of its world class wines, truffles and local delicacies, the breathtaking landscape that remains intact and unchanged will surely have you understand why the region has been proposed for the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Strada Romantica starts off at Vezza D’Alba, which is about 20min by car from TorreBarolo, or Camerana, which is further afield from Barolo. The distances don’t seem far but given the numerous switch back roads, I would ensure you have set aside plenty of time to meander through these landscapes that vary from the lush vineyards of the Langhe to the hazelnut orchids and the hilly forest of the Alta Langa.

You can get here a detailed PDF map of the Strada Romantica 11 stopping points.

The panoramic stopping points consist of:

1. Vezza d’Alba: steep hills, deep gorges and cliffs: these are the famous Rocche of the Roero region, on the left side of the Tanaro River. Vezza d’Alba was built here more than one thousand years ago; the ruins of the castle that belonged to the Roero family until the 17th Century are a vestige of its feudal age. In Vezza we suggest you visit the nice Baroque Church of San Bernardino and two other interesting churches: the Parish church of San Martino and the Shrine of the Madonna dei Boschi, which is located between the hamlets of Valle Sanche and Valle Maggiore.

2. Magliano Alfieri: it used to be the “kingdom” of the Alfieri family, who commissioned the construction of the imposing castle between 1660 and 1680 that dominates the town centre, and which was the residence of one of the most important Italian poets, the young Vittorio Alfieri. The castle, where you can also find the noble chapel of the Santo Crocefisso, is the property of the town hall. 

3. Nieve: worth noting are the Clock Tower, which is the last vestige of the old castle, the Baroque Arch-Confraternity of San Michele with its precious wooden portal, Cotto’s House with beautiful ceilings and fireplaces of the 18th Century. Outside the village, along the Tinella torrent on the way to Mango, in the countryside you will also find a marvellous Romanesque bell tower, which belongs to the fascinating Church of Santa Maria del Piano.

4. Treiso: besides the classical Baroque style Parish Church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin of the Assumption, around the town stand numerous rustic chapels and commemorative pillars, among them the War memorial in remembrance of the heroes of the Resistance. In autumn in the hills of Treiso, Neive and Barbaresco, the Nebbiolo grapes are harvested, from which the renowned Barbaresco wine is made.

5. Trezzo Tinella: on the border between the Langhe and Monferrato, Trezzo Tinella, a tiny village set among the woods. Points of interest in the village are the Parish of Sant’ Antonio Abate, a typical Piemontese neoclassic construction with barrel vault, and the Chapel of Sant’Anna ai Fiori.

6. Benevello: it is the first point of the Alta Langa. The historic centre of Benevello has its nucleus in the square, where the castle stands, probably erected around 1100 for surveillance over the road that leads from the Langhe to Alba.

7. Sinio: this village is dominated by the castle, built on the ruins of a previous manner, destroyed by the Sforza family in 1431, it was rebuilt on the wishes of the Del Carretto family, in front of which stands the Chapel of San Sebastiano. The deconsecrated Church of the Madonna Annunziata of the 17th Century is host to the Town Theatre of Sinio.

8. Cissone: this village dominates the small valley hollowed out by the Riavolo torrent. The surrounding woods are crossed by many paths where you can enjoy relaxing walks. The main village square is situated among the Brotherhood church of the Disciplinati (with an original Baroque altar), the Town Hall and the Parish Church, and is dominated by the Church dedicated to Santa Lucia.

9. Murazzano: this village was built in strategic position and it has the most well-kept tower among the many watchtowers which were built on the Higher Langa hills, as the Saracens often plundered this region. The Shrine of the Madonna di Hal with the Buzignano Gate, which marked the boundary of the old town, and the Church of San Lorenzo are worth seeing; I also suggest you also visit the beautiful Tovegni Palace, which was built in an eclectic style and shows two majestic Art Nouveau dormer windows.

10. Mombarcaro: here the view opens out from the Maritime Alps to the perpetual snow of the Monte Rosa. I suggest you visit the historical and ethnographical museum, the Church of San Rocco with the “Cavalcade of the deadly Sins”, the beautiful frescos by Antonio Ocello from Ceva and the Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie (in the hamlet of San Luigi). 

11. Camerana: this village is made up of various hamlets extending on to a broad valley along the Bormida River from Bormida valley to the upper Belbo valley. The Baroque Church of S.S. Annunziata with its precious high altar made of fine polychrome marble mosaics and the peculiar leaning bell tower is worth visiting. The nature of the region will surprise you: the Riserva Naturale (Wildlife Sanctuary) Sorgenti del Belbo, which is located among the villages of Montezemolo, Camerana and Saliceto, is a particular, unique and uncontaminated part of the Langhe. The area is perfect for trekking, horse riding and cross-country skiing in the winter.