[PIEMONTE, ITALY] —  Mid October is a busy season here in Barolo. Most of the grapes have already been picked, but because of recent rains there’s more to go. A couple of hot days of sun and we’re good to go.

Laying down for a jet-lag nap, I can hear gargling tractors drive by on the famous Via Ginestra, their rattling trailers rushing to the crushing. This is also the beginning of truffle season, here in the white truffle capital of the world, everyone securing their stash like drug dealers.

I walked into Monforte d’Alba for a quiet lunch in the busy piazza. After shaving luscious white truffle tubers like pencil fines, Alberto, the owner of the wonderfully named Grappolo d’Oro hotel (The Golden Grape) said, “Wait, I want to show you some something special. I just got it this morning.”

He came back and unraveled a foil bundle carefully, like a rabbi preparing for a bris. In it a golden orb the size of a fist. “Smell it.”  Mmmmmmmm. “Wowwww. How much does it weigh?” “One hundred grams.” Then he looks left, then right, wrapped it up like new diapers and scurried back inside, turning back and commenting. “By the way, I’m a big Broncos fan…”

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It was a whirlwind four days in Piemonte in Northwestern Italy, snuggled right up against the Alps, France just over the hills.  Those few days were crammed full of crisscrossing Monforte d’Alba and the Langhe region, meeting winemakers, tasting a million wines that I don’t know about, eating at killer restaurants, harvesting a great friend’s first Barolo vintage and hanging with a a peck of new friends.

I was guided by an American friend that owned land there, very rare, but his personality was so infectious that he could run for mayor. Everywhere we went we’d hear calls of “Ciaaao Jon!” and then hugs and air kisses. We scooted around from winery to winery, running errands, stopping by friends or having an aperitivo in town before heading to dinner.

Grapes and truffles are the economy here, every acre planted to the gills with vines.  Big tractors full of grapes ramble down the narrow roadways.

Monforte d’Alba is the perfect hilltop village to base your exploration of Barolo and Langhe wine region. Just an hour south of Turin, it’s an easy jump from the plane to the hills. White capped mountains peak out from the high humidity of the valley below, smiling on sunny days.  There are bigger towns and cities, but few match the character of Monforte.

Gawd this region is great, how have I never been here before? Vieni qui!

I’ve been here twice now, during harvest and in early wet Spring, March. Both lovely times of the year. One, you can feel the excitement of bringing in a year’s hard work, the other a nervous glee in hopes for a good year and good weather.

Great Places to Eat In And Around Monforte d’Alba

Grappolo D’Oro — “The Golden Grape”

Sitting in the main piazza of Monforte d’Alba, sipping a nice garnet colored Nebbiolo in the shade, watching the wine world go by.  That’s about as good as it gets. Grappolo d’Oro is the perfect place for a long lunch.  Come say hi to Alberto and his twin brother, both a constant presence inside and outside, chatting up the town and guests. 

Barolo Bar

The Barolo Bar is world famous and the center of Monforte, seems like nearly everyone makes a stop there at some point of the day.  And I mean more of people that live here than tourists. You can buy wine, taste wine, have an aperitivo and a light bite.  It’s the perfect Italian center-of-town bar.

Le Case della Saracca

Incredibly fun fun meal at Le Case della Saracca with a bunch of new friends who treat me like family. This place rocks. Meat. Vino. Super super sweet peoples, mostly women.

It’s carved out of this treasured hill, right in the middle of Monforte. The ancient outsides bely the modern interior, with glass walls and floors and steps penetrating the many caverns inside, light illuminating the wine collection.

This was my favorite meal of each trip, more the atmosphere and nice people than anything else. Right in the center of Monforte. Definitely eat here. At least once. It’s a crazy mix of super old and super modern. Crazy passageways and steep stairs that you can wander around in. It’s just such a magical place, hard to describe and even harder to photograph. But just go there, you’ll leave smiling. And want to come back the next day.

Repubblica di Perno

In a little hamlet straddling the hills outside of the town of Monforte there’s an unassuming little roadside restaurant, box bushes and astroturf the only thing separating your plate from the street. Repubblica di Perno served one of the best meals I had in Piemonte. I just loved this mellow place. Run by a husband and wife team — he cooks, she serves — eating there is like pulling up to a family table.

I would like to buy a font just like this. Here’s the perfect example of the regional Tajarin al Ragu di Salsiccia pasta with grated Parmesan that melted like tears. If you look online for this restaurant you’ll see a bunch of pictures exactly like this. At first, I though it was my pic, then I realize that it is just a perfectly executed dish each time.

 

Marc Lanteri Ristorante

We had an incredible meal at the Michelin starred Marc Lanteri Restaurant at famous UNESCO World Heritage designated Castello di Grinzane Cavour.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: Amy and Marc have moved their restaurant from Castello Grinzane Cavour to another place nearby, which looks even prettier. ]

It’s insanely busy during truffle season but the incredible Amy — Chef Marc’s wife from Ouray Colorado — treated us like we were the only ones in the entire Castello. She is a delightful human being. Totally knows every wine that’s been made in Barolo. We talked hunting wild boars and bad bears and she proved to be an Olympic caliber bubblegum blower. Book in advance.

Go try their new restaurant, tell her I said Hi and leave a note in the comments section.

The old Restaurant Marc Lanteri Al Castello was actually inside this ancient castle. They have a cool new location now.

Hotel Villa Beccaris

Vineyard Visits in Monforte d’Alba

The View from Via Ginestra

Simone Scaletta

Simone Scaletta is the definition of a self-made man. He didn’t inherit a vineyard or come from a long lineage of wine-making family. Here’s his website. He left a printing job in Turin and came here, found an old farmhouse and land, restored it himself and built his own wine cellar, teaching himself the grape farming business himself, listening and learning from the land. He’s one of the Barolo Boys who helped renew the treasures of the region. Simone, from the beginning has been about growing bio-dynamic wines, letting the earth tell him which way to go. What a wonderful human being.

Giacomo Conterno

The name Conterno is synonymous with Barolo and Monforte. The name Conterno is everywhere (and a it’s bit confusing for a layman). There’s Aldo Conterno, Claudio Conterno, Paolo Conterno, Diego Conterno and Franco Conterno. Some are related. Some are not. Some are fractured families who split in different directions over time, or had new generations that wanted to peel off and do things their own way.

We were honored, awestruck actually, that we were able to spend most of a morning with the most gracious Roberto Conterno at the most famous Conterno, Giacomo Conterno. He produces some of the most sought after Barolos on the planet… and the hardest to get. Even if you want to buy it, you often can’t. It’s all on allocation.

We were there for a brief tasting, but I was with a couple of my favorite architect friends. Because we didn’t really know much about wines, I think he might have been relieved that we didn’t pester him with endless questions about “how many years in oak?” and other winey questions. Instead we talked about architecture and creating special places and his designs for his wineries.

Roberto was as passionate about architecture as he is about wine and even pulled out plans for future projects. It was such a magical experience. We pinched ourselves in the car. “Can you believe what just happened???”

As testament to how hard it is to get his treasured wines, when I got back to Denver and found one of his wines on the menu at Denver’s best Italian restaurant, appropriately named Barolo Grill, I ordered a bottle ($300) and the bartender said “Wow, you just drank one of the two bottles we were allocated this year.” It was absolutely amazing. We shared a glass with her.

Ceretto Vineyards

Ceretto is a big producer and has an incredible large facility and tastings.

Diego Conterno

A Special Afternoon With The Delightful Family Manfredi

We had an amazing afternoon with Aldo Manfredi and his lovely family. They are one of the largest exporters in the region and we started touring their huge Manfredi Cantine in Farigliano, then followed a tasting and lunch in their glorious Bricco Rosso sitting on a hilltop looking all over Langhe. After days of cold spring rain, we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful spring day.

The family has been making wines since the early 1900s and Aldo’s father Pin was the one who really made it happen in the 1930s. Aldo learned everything side-by-side with his father, even driving around Italy delivering the wines themselves. His wife Gianfranca and daughters Luisa and Paola are all involved in the business.

A Stop In David Fletcher’s Beautiful Old Train Depot Winery

David Fletcher, gosh, what a story. An Aussie, he started making wines right out of school, fell in love with Nebbiolo and now lives in Barbaresco, in the old train station, actually. He’s made wines for some of the biggest labels and now his own wines, Fletcher Wines, are in high demand. In fact, they are all on allocation. He started with Barolo and Nebbiolo and now has 10 wines under his own label. And even makes his own Nebbiolo in Australia.

David and his wife Eleanor restored the old town train station and live there with their lovely daughter and perfect dog. You just can’t write a better story. He makes wine and cellars in the basement below, cooking and living above. What a fantastic family. Here is a fantastic story about David & Eleanor if you want to learn more.

Where to Stay in Monforte d’Alba

My friend Jon owns a cute little B&B called La Casa Gialla (The Yellow House) right off the famed Via Ginestra.  It’s right outside of Monforte and within walking distance. Lovely to walk home from town after a big filling dinner.

The compound has two buildings and several apartments you can rent, with their own kitchens and balconies. The whole place is run by the delightful Marghe and her husband Mario and beautiful (and funny) daughter Martina. They make you feel like you’re staying as a guest in their home. The place is clean, affordable and very comfortable. And quiet.

The houses look over a quiet little hollow, with their own vineyard that Jon has been restoring over the last several years. His Barolo vines are right below your window.

Here’s Expedia’s list of the 10 Best Hotels in Monforte.  Villa Beccaris is the top rated hotel in the region and it right in the heart of Monforte. If I wasn’t staying at La Casa Gialla, I’d be here.

Grappolo D’oro also is a hotel in the main piazza of Monforte. Highly recommend staying with those guys, eat their amazing food and watch the wine world go by the center of town.

— Last Visited October 2018 and May 2022 —

Additional Information on Piedmont and Monforte d’Alba

Here’s a great article on Monforte d’Alba from A Taste of Travel blog.  Here’s a very good web resources on Langhe.net. Here’s TripAdvisor’s Monforte Guide.  And a good Monforte guide from the great website The Kittchen.   Here’s the official city of Monforte’s webpage (in Italian).

Here’s a great article from The Telegraph on a weekend in Monforte. Here’s a list of vineyards from the Monforte tourism website.

Here’s a great list of the Best Hiking Trails in Monforte d’Alba.  That little outdoor theater above has some of the best names in jazz play there every summer. Here’s list of what’s coming up.

Here’s a great article in Forbes about the Langhe region of Barolo. And another good Forbes article on Nebbiolo grape. An article on the Internationl White Truffle Fair.

Here’s a link to my other post on harvesting grapes in Barolo. Here’s a TripAdvisor link to the best restaurants in Monforte d’Alba.