The Most Famous Wine Cellars of the Langhe Find Out Which Ones to Visit in 2023

One of the best experiences to get to know a territory in depth is undoubtedly that of a visit to a wine cellar: in it, in fact, you find a fascinating world in which it is wonderful to immerse oneself not only to listen to the different voices that are part of it but also to learn about its history.

The nobility of wine is just that: is never a detached, abstract object that can be judged by drinking a glass, or two or three, of a bottle that comes from a place where we have never been.

Mario Soldati

The Langhe, in Piedmont, are one of the most renowned wine regions in the world and are endowed with a landscape over which hectares and hectares of vine rows stand out, and there are numerous wine cellars to visit in the region, each with its own peculiarity.

Here are the four most famous ones to visit.

Ceretto Winery

The Ceretto winery, one of the most famous in the Langhe, was founded in 1936 by Riccardo Ceretto. The famous ‘Acino’ grape, an architectural masterpiece with a futuristic aftertaste, stands out on their estate and already offers a first taste of their philosophy.

The winery has pioneered the use of sustainable and organic viticulture techniques and produces some of the best wines in the region.

A visit to the winery includes a tasting of their fine wines, including Barolo, Barbaresco, Dolcetto and Moscato d’Asti. The winery also offers a culinary experience, with traditional Piedmontese dishes accompanied by a selection of wines.

For those who love contamination.

Coppo Winery

Coppo Winery is a world-renowned winery located in the town of Canelli, in the Asti area, and was one of the first in Italy to bottle wine under its own brand name.

Founded in 1892, the winery covers 27 hectares of vineyards and its main nucleus is in Monferrato.

Its peculiarity, however, is hidden inside: in its basements there are, a series of ancient tunnels dug by hand into the tuff, called “infernot,” which are so striking that they became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014 and have allowed the wine to be perfectly preserved.

For those who never cease to be amazed.

Marchesi di Barolo Winery

The Marchesi di Barolo winery is one of the oldest and most prestigious in the region, founded in 1807 by the Marchesi Falletti family. Located in the heart of the area’s flagship wine, for six generations the company has produced some of the Langhe’s most celebrated wines, including Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera d’Alba and Dolcetto.

The visit includes a tasting of their wines and a tour of the historic underground cellars, where the wines are aged in oak barrels.

Here you can still admire the five barrels of the Marchesa Giulia Falletti Colbert and the collection of rare bottles of Barolo Riserva from the late 19th century.

For those who love tradition.

Poderi Luigi Einaudi

Poderi Luigi Einaudi is a farm founded in 1897 by the President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi, in the heart of the Langhe, in Dogliani.

The company started out as a wine estate, but in the following years has expanded to become a full-fledged farm, also growing cereals, hazelnuts and other crops, comprising 13 farms of around 70 hectares.

In 1998, Poderi Luigi Einaudi obtained ‘Organic Farm‘ certification for the production of wine, olives and hazelnuts.

Today, Poderi Luigi Einaudi is run by the fourth generation of the Einaudi family and produces a wide range of wines, including the famous Barolo, but also Barbera, Langhe Nebbiolo and other white wines such as Roero Arneis.

For those who live history with an eye to the future.

L’Astemia Pentita

Curiously evocative in name, the winery was founded in 2007 by Sandra Vezza, the ‘repentant teetotaler‘ herself.

The company’s architecture is characterized externally by two large stacked blocks reproducing two wine crates and surrounded by the rows of vines of its production.

Not only externally but also internally it is capable of impressing: large multicoloured murals, Gufram design pieces like an unconventional pop dream combined with the quality of the wines with original labels for whites and reds such as Barbera, Nebbiolo, Nascetta and Dolcetto.

The company is committed to environmental sustainability and uses organic and biodynamic farming techniques to cultivate its vineyards. It is also dedicated to the preservation and recovery of native grape varieties in the area.

For those who love contemporary art.

Not Just Big Names

However, there are not only well-known companies such as those listed: it is also extremely enriching to visit small local producers who will give you a welcome that is perhaps less ‘prestigious’, but certainly more familiar and genuine. Here are some suggestions!

• Cascina Sòt

  Along the road that leads from Barolo to Monforte, you’ll find Cascina Sòt, a family-run company that produces typical Langa wines. Discover tradition and modernity during your visit to the Winery, along with guided tastings

  Cascina Sòt is the name of this ancient Langa farmhouse, which according to some sources dates back to over 400 years ago.

  Finely restored, with an elegant tasting room, it is now home to the Winery that bears the same name, run by the Sanso family.

  Maurizio, the young owner, assisted by his parents Silvana and Leonardo and by his sister Lorena, will welcome you to the company, for a visit and a guided tasting session.

  The vineyards

  The vineyards are located amongst the Farmstead’s adjacent lands, between the hills of Bricco San Pietro and San Giovanni, with a variable exposure ranging from South/South-West and South/South-East. The soil is clayey-calcareous.

  Respect for the vineyard and the environment is reflected in the targeted use of pesticides and grassing between and under the rows.

  You can read more about Cascina Sòt here.

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  1. The tasting room

  The tasting room accommodates up to 35 people

  2. In the company you will meet the producers

  They are a family business

• Fratelli Novara

  The Fratelli Novara farming company cultivates its own vineyards on the Cisterna d’Asti Hills, between Monferrato and Roero.

  The Fratelli Novara winery produces a very limited number of bottles, only 10,000 annually. With only 6 hectares of vineyard, cultivated in the municipality of Cisterna d’Asti, it is one of the smallest wineries in the Roero region.

  An innovative spirit and respect for family traditions represent a constant commitment.

  Through the guidance of their father Giuseppe Novara, sons Antonello and Riccardo introduced modern production processes.

  The philosophy

  The aim is to offer a quality product that reflects the family’s sincere and direct spirit.

  You won’t find a ceremonious welcoming, large tasting halls or wines to be put to one side for the holidays. The philosophy is based on genuineness and the pleasure of offering wines to be savored on a daily basis.

  You can read more about Fratelli Novara here.

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  1. Our family

  The owners personally follow all stages of production

  2. Work in the vineyard

  Antonello Novara and little Francesco

  3. The new Cellar opened in 2020

  It is the location overlooking Cisterna d’Asti that encloses the tasting room and the winemaking and storage facilities

• Rizieri

  The winery was born from Arturo’s dream of becoming a producer and creating a sustainable reality, with wines of the highest quality. It is located in Diano d’Alba, one of the 11 municipalities that are part of the Barolo production area.

  Azienda Vitivinicola Rizieri has a different story from most local wineries.

  This young winery does not derive from a craft handed down through generations or from family land; instead, it was born from Arturo’s life project, who decided to put himself to the test and give shape to a dream.

  Conceived and realized with courage and tenacity, the company quickly made its way to the top of the local market as a sustainable producer of quality wines.

  Rizieri is located in Diano d’Alba, in Sorì del Ricchino, one of the 11 communes that make up the Barolo production area, and spreads over 14 hectares, 7.5 of which are vineyards.

  The remaining land consists of deciduous and mixed woodland, which contributes to the perfect microclimate for the well-being of the vineyards. These, surrounding the winery, are planted to Arneis, Dolcetto, Merlot and Barbera; in La Morra, one vineyard is planted to Nebbiolo da Barolo.

   

   

  You can read more about Rizieri here.

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  1. The Tasting Room

  A contemporary, finely furnished venue

  2. The barrels

  The wines age in wooden barrels before being bottled

  3. Tasting

  Arturo tastes the wine still in the cask

• Ceretto

  A company that is a symbol of the Langhe, which has contributed over three generations to making this territory known internationally

  From 1800 to the present day the Ceretto family has been representing the Langhe territory with passion, making of hospitality, wine, food and art its mission.

  The family has a history of revolution, intuition and innovation.

  Bruno and Marcello, sons of the founder Riccardo Ceretto, are among the first in the Langhe to follow the concept of “cru” and to select the vineyards in the most valid positions turning Barolo and Barbaresco into two of the most appreciated wines in the world.

  They are the first to think of labels that bear the name of the vineyard and its photography, to make sure that those who drink their wines can get an idea of ​​the places that made them possible.

  With time, the two succeed in conveying the passion for the territory to their children, who became part of the project in the 1990s.

  The family began in the 2000s to widen even more their views by linking the passion for the territory to art and architecture and becoming part of the culinary world with two world-famous restaurants.

  Starting from 2010, the Ceretto wine production is completely converted to organic farming obtaining the Bio Certification with the 2015 harvest.

  You can read more about Ceretto here.

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  1. The Ceretto family

  Three generations linked by the common thread of the soil, which unites them all